ACU Today Spring-Summer 2019

A CU T O D AY A bilene Chr isti a n Uni v er sit y

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Abilene Christian University ACU Box 29132 Abilene, Texas 79699-9132

Spring-Summer 2019

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C OMING UP Pregame Party / Football at University of North Texas (Denton) ........ August 31 113th Annual Summit ................................................................. September 15-18 Wildcat Preview Days ........................................... September 20, November 25 Family Weekend and Freshman Follies ................................... September 20-21 Admitted Student Visit Days ................... October 14, November 4, December 6 Gutenberg Celebration ........................................................................ October 17 Homecoming .................................................................................. October 17-20 ACU Theatre Homecoming Musical: Beauty and the Beast ......... October 18-20 Pregame Party / Football at Mississippi State (Starkville) ............ November 23

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December Commencement ............................................................ December 13 2020 Admitted Student Visit Days .......................... January 24, March 2, April 3 2020 Wildcat Preview Days ............................................. February 21, March 27 2020 Sing Song ........................................................................... February 21-22 2020 President’s Circle Dinner ........................................................ February 22 2020 Alumni Day Luncheon ............................................................. February 23 2020 Day of Giving ................................................................................... April 21 Class of 1970 Golden Anniversary Reunion........................................ April 22-24 2020 May Commencement ........................................................................ May 11

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instagram.com/acuedu SCOTT DELONY

A Tale of Two Seasons How to be a Wildcat Freshmen in Moody Coliseum practice “How to be a Wildcat” during Wildcat Week – the late-summer orientation formerly known as Welcome Week – before the first day of school in August 2018. ACU fans had plenty of opportunities to cheer during a highly successful athletics year. (See pages 4-19 and 70.)

Wildcat men’s and women’s basketball teams make historic runs to the NCAA Tournament

Alumni Awards  Remembering Dr. Teague  ACUTV

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Vision in Action

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Outlive Your Life Award

From the PRESIDENT

ACU Today is published twice a year by the Office of University Marketing at Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas.

Philanthropy

STAFF

T

he world was a different place in 1956 when Bobby Joe Morrow (’58) put Abilene Christian on the map

by winning three gold medals during the Olympic Games in Melbourne.

He was not an unknown commodity, as the Wildcats were recognized far and wide for their record-setting sprinters in The Wildcats were a front-page track and field. But his fame – and that of phenomenon during March Madness. teammates and coaches through media coverage – plus Morrow’s subsequent Sportsman of the Year honor from Sports Illustrated, changed what people around the globe knew about ACU and Abilene, Texas.

In March of this year, we heard you cheering with us for the Wildcats when ACU made school history by sending both men’s and women’s basketball teams to play in the NCAA Tournament. It was an astounding accomplishment in only the university’s second year to be postseason championship-eligible in Division I. Both teams won their respective Southland Conference tournament titles and were not intimidated by drawing games against Kentucky in the men’s Midwest regional and eventual national champion Baylor in the women’s first round. Our cover story documents their experience, which included terrific support from fans in a gigantic watch party in Moody Coliseum and a large contingent who traveled to Waco, Texas, among others.

Both games were nationally televised – the men’s in primetime on CBS – resulting in the kind of media attention and name exposure for Abilene Christian not seen since Morrow’s era. It also brought unprecedented brand visibility that rarely comes today in higher education except through the world of intercollegiate athletics at the Division I level.

Of course, we are much more than a university competing in 17 NCAA sports. We have distinguished scholars teaching in state-of-the-art facilities, mentoring the most talented students anywhere. Our alumni are international leaders in their respective fields of endeavor. This issue of ACU Today shares information about many of them, notably the annual award winners and other newsmakers profiled on these pages.

Our first taste of college basketball’s Division I March Madness stirred many emotions and created many memories. But one conclusion colors what I’ll always remember: Great opportunties are realized when ACU students, faculty, staff and alumni stand on an international stage and demonstrate their God-given talents and abilities while wearing Purple and White.

The synergy created by the accomplishments of these two teams energized all of us, and is just the beginning of what’s to come.

Let’s remember what that felt and looked like, and commit to working together to build a greater ACU, creating even more opportunities for deserving students to earn the higher education of their dreams while learning how to make a real difference in the world.

Go Wildcats!

Editor: Ron Hadfield (’79) Assistant Editor: Robin (Ward ’82) Saylor Sports Editor: Lance Fleming (’92) Contributing Writers This Issue: Dr. Cheryl Mann Bacon (’76), Sarah Carlson (’06), Dawn (Treat ’89) Cole, Loretta Fulton, Chris Macaluso, Deana (Hamby ’93) Nall Contributing Photographers This Issue: Greg Kendall-Ball (M.A. ’06), Jenny Brown, Steffenie Burns, Steve Butman, Brian Coats, Mandy (Becker ’13) Collum, Brandi Jo (Magee ’06) Delony, Scott Delony (’06), Gerald Ewing, Lauren Franco (’19), Jeremy Enlow, Kevin Halliburton, Dr. Tim Kennedy, Kim Leeson, Sergio Loes, Tim Nelson, Pepperdine University, Photo Texas, Clark Potts (’53), Mark Ries, Erinn Spack, Texas Medicine, Gordon Trice, Jonathan Vail, USA Football, Joshua Voda, Paul White (’68), Rick Yeatts Contributing Graphic Designers/Illustrators This Issue: Greg Golden (’87), Nancy Halliday, Holly Harrell, Todd Mullins, Amy Willis

FOCUSED ON STUDENTS

ADVISORY COMMITTEE Administration: Suzanne Allmon (’79), Dr. Gary D. McCaleb (’64), Dr. Robert Rhodes Advancement: Jim Orr, J.D. (’86), Billie Currey, J.D. (’70), Sarah Carlson (’06) Alumni Relations: Craig Fisher (’92), Jama (Fry ’97) Cadle, April Young (’16), Mandy (Becker ’13) Collum Marketing: Jason Groves (’00) Student Life: Dr. Scott McDowell Ex-officio: Dr. Phil Schubert (’91)

CORRESPONDENCE ACU Today: hadfieldr@acu.edu ACU Alumni Association: alumni@acu.edu Record Changes: ACU Box 29132, Abilene, Texas 79699-9132, 325-674-2620

ON THE WEB Abilene Christian University: acu.edu ACU Today Blog: acu.today Address changes and EXperiences: acu.edu/alumni/whatsnew/update.html ACU Advancement Office (Exceptional Fund, Gift Records): acu.edu/give ACU Alumni Website: acu.edu/alumni Find Us on Facebook: facebook.com/abilenechristian facebook.com/acusports facebook.com/welcometoACU Follow Us on Twitter: twitter.com/acuedu twitter.com/acusports twitter.com/acuadmissions Follow Us on Instagram: instagram.com/acuedu instagram.com/acualumni instagram.com/acusports instagram.com/acuadmissions

n his role as an advancement officer at ACU, Anthony Williams meets a lot of people, many of them alumni and friends of the university.

And on every visit, he always makes sure the conversation comes back to one thing: students.

“Almost every day, I have the privilege to speak with families about the amazing things happening at Abilene Christian, and I get to encourage these supporters to invest in scholarships and programs that help ensure a better future for our students,” said Williams, who also is mayor of Abilene. “I love listening to people’s memories of their time on the Hill and hearing their hopes for the continued growth of ACU.” One of the avenues Williams encourages alumni and friends to use to give back to students is through estate gifts. Working with The ACU Foundation,

these donors give gifts of cash, stocks, land and other property for things such as scholarships, programs and facilities, all benefitting future generations of students.

“I’m so grateful for the individuals who are so inspired by ACU’s commitment to building community leaders that they make estate gifts,” Williams said. “For example, one woman I met with is leaving a gift through her estate to benefit students planning to join the mission field of public education.”

“The men and women who give back to students are truly changing lives,” he said.

The ACU Foundation is available to work with you and your family to help maximize both your philanthropic impact and your own personal tax-saving and estate planning goals.

If we could help your family in any way, please contact us today for a free consultation.

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DR. PHIL SCHUBERT (’91), President The mission of ACU is to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world.

Hunter Welcome Center ACU Box 29200 Abilene, Texas 79699-9200

800-979-1906 • 325-674-2508 • theacufoundation.org • theacufoundation@acu.edu

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Sing Song hostess Jessica Overton, a junior vocal music education major from Arlington, Texas, acknowledges an ovation from the Moody Coliseum audience. (Photograph by Scott Delony)

ON THE COVER

It was net-cutting time in March 2019 at the Southland Conference postseason tournament, where the ACU men’s and women's basketball teams punched their tickets to the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

(Photograph by Rick Yeatts)

March Madness: A Tale of Two Seasons 2019 Alumni Awards Remembering Dr. William J. Teague ACUTV: Game Changer VIA Update: Onstead Science Center Outlive Your Life: Dr. Ira and June Hill 48 Homecoming 50 #ACU

52 The Bookcase 56 Hilltop View 60 Academic News

66 Campus News 70 Wildcat Sports 75 Your Gifts at Work 76 EXperiences 96 Second Glance

OUR PROMISE

ACU is a vibrant, innovative, Christ-centered community that engages students in authentic spiritual and intellectual growth, equipping them to make a real difference in the world

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PAUL WHITE

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Fans lined up in the Campus Mall nearly three hours before tipoff, waiting for first dibs on the best seats in the house. A large screen showed the CBS Sports telecast, while contests and giveaways filled time between the first and second half, and during commercial breaks.

SCOTT DELONY

HORI Z ONS Fans go batty for inaugural March Madness Watch Party Free food and souvenir T-shirts helped bring more than 3,500 fans to a Watch Party in Moody Coliseum on March 21, 2019.

But the main attraction was far away in Jacksonville, Florida, where the Wildcat basketball team was taking on the University of Kentucky in a nationally televised game in the men’s Midwest regional.

Raising Cane’s Chicken Tenders, Domino’s Pizza, Buffalo Wild Wings, Lytle Land & Cattle Co., United Supermarkets and PepsiCo provided free food and beverages to excited Wildcats of all ages. The event was organized by the Student Government Association and staffed by students and employees from across campus.

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JAREN LEWIS

BREANNA WRIGHT

By Ron Hadfield Photography by Jeremy Enlow

STEVE BUTMAN / RICK YEATTS

ACU WILDCAT MEN’S AND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAMS MAKE HISTORIC RUNS TO THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

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See Bonus Coverage at acu.today

A

s an NCAA Division I head

basketball coach with a team in the

tournament, it’s hard to know how much of what to throw in a suitcase when heading to one’s first March Madness experience.

Your team could go on a three-week-long run as the next Cinderella, or head home the first day with the fries still warm in the media room buffet line.

ACU leaders Joe Golding (’99) and Julie Goodenough couldn’t be blamed for selecting five smooth stones from nearby Rainey Creek and packing them for their trips, such was the biblical-size task their respective men’s and women’s teams faced one glorious week at the end of the 2018-19 season.

Earlier this year and just two seasons into NCAA Division I postseason eligibility, the Wildcats qualified not one but both of their teams for the national tournament.

The odds of doing that were just this side of unfathomable, having completed an arduous four-year transition period from Division II to I that began with the 2013-14 season. But with confetti still in their hair from respective Southland Conference postseason tournament celebrations, and their tickets punched for an automatic invitation to the Big Dance, they steeled themselves for the next step.

It was a doozy.

Their upcoming Goliaths may not have measured six cubits and a span in height (that’s 9 foot 9 inches for those of you checking the opponent’s roster for matchups) but were nonetheless virtual giants in the college basketball world.

A No. 16 seed, the women’s team drew overall top-ranked Baylor, which won the national championship 15 days later with a 37-1 record.

The 15th-seeded men’s team drew a much taller team of Wildcats in the form of No. 2-seeded Kentucky, which was playing in its NCAA-record 58th national tournament.

Each team’s respective journey to the national stage felt as much a fairy tale as reality.

The lights of a regional tournament arena and national media attention were as bright as any team has experienced in Wildcat sports history. Total broadcast audience reach of the two games was more than 30.7 million people. The ACU-Kentucky men’s matchup in primetime on CBS drew a 7.1 Nielsen rating, the network’s biggest for an opening game in four years.

The world was watching.

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ara Williamson, a guard, was the lone senior on Goodenough’s team (23-10 overall, 13-5 in the Southland), which fought its way into the conference tournament as a No. 4 seed, only to ride record-setting shooting performances en route to an unlikely championship.

The Wildcats opened the season 6-0 and cracked the mid-major national poll after winning at New Mexico State and Texas-El Paso.

They struggled during the winter holiday, dropping games to Tulsa, Arkansas, Florida Gulf Coast and Texas Tech. They opened Southland play at 5-1 with four road wins, and after losing three of five midseason games, regrouped to win nine of their final 10.

ACU won three games in three days at the conference tournament, beating two-time champ Central Arkansas (82-54) in the quarterfinals before upsetting top-seeded Lamar (88-79) in the semis, then surviving a late rally by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (69-68) in the final.

Golding’s team earned its way by tying Willard Tate’s 1979-80 team

with a record 25 regular-season and 27 total wins (27-7 overall, 14-4 in the Southland). It started the season 7-0 with impressive wins over Arkansas State, Denver, Elon, Pacific, Cal-Riverside, Campbell and Southeast Missouri, before crafting a 14-4 record in conference play.

Three seniors – forwards Jaren Lewis and Hayden Farquhar, and guard Jaylen Franklin – provided scoring, rebounding and leadership along the way. The latter was especially needed when two other starters were dismissed from the team with five regular-season games left to play.

But the team regrouped, going 4-1 while winning big games on the road at Texas-Corpus Christi and Central Arkansas to earn a double bye to the Southland tournament semifinals.

There, ACU beat Southeastern Louisiana (69-66) and then New Orleans (77-60) in the finals.

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s double champs of the Southland, ACU found itself standing in tall cotton.

First-round games of the men’s Midwest Regional (ACU, Kentucky, Seton Hall and Wofford) were in the same arena in Jacksonville, Florida, where the East Regional (Maryland, Belmont, LSU and Yale) also was played. The women’s bracket in Waco featured ACU, Baylor, North Carolina and Cal-Berkeley.

Golding rationalized beforehand that ACU had gained the worst and best draw possible, the latter because “anytime anyone talked about the University of Kentucky over the next 24-48 hours, they’re also going to be talking about Abilene Christian.”

What an understatement that turned out to be among many that week from ACU’s quip-meister coach, who became the talk of the sports world on the eve of its first game in the national spotlight (see page 6).

“This was the dream. This was the (Continued on page 19) ACU TODAY

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Golding’s ripped pants generate headlines Jacksonville police on motorcycles escorted the Wildcat team wherever it went during the tournament.

Golding’s now-famous suit pants bore the brunt of a celebratory hug following the Southland tournament championship game.

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ational exposure for ACU took on quite another meaning for men’s basketball head coach Joe Golding (’99) at the Midwest Regional in Jacksonville, Florida.

The Wildcats’ head coach revealed in a postgame press conference March 20 that his only suit incurred a rip in the seat of its pants during a spirited celebratory embrace with veteran assistant coach Brette Tanner following ACU’s championship win in the Southland Conference tournament.

“I’m gonna have a hole in my butt,” Golding philosophized to a crowd of gathered journalists just before their first workout in Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena. “It is what it is, man.”

The sports world went bonkers, widely quoting the former Wildcat guard on the eve of leading his alma mater into its first-round game against Kentucky in primetime on national TV. Today Show anchors, among a host of other members of the media, painted ACU as the people’s choice: potentially the next underdog star of the annual basketball circus named March Madness.

Scott Van Pelt, anchor of ESPN’s nightly SportsCenter, spotlighted ACU on his March 20 broadcast, offering to buy Golding a new suit. The personal tailor of Kentucky head coach John Calipari called to volunteer his services. Nordstrom’s, Hugo Boss, Joseph A. Bank and other clothiers dangled offers as well. A GoFundMe page was started, leading to a $1,000 check the coach is donating to the Play4Rex Foundation in Abilene.

With no time for a tailor, however, the blue outfit was on full display the next night, when Golding found himself the first rock star of 2019 March Madness. ACU’s police-escorted team bus was greeted by a CBS film crew when it arrived for the game, its camera focused on Golding’s backside as he entered the arena.

The coach kept the rip under wraps for the broadcast, however, uncharacteristically

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Hayden Farquhar and teammates stretch before the game in a hallway at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena.

choosing to not remove his suit coat and reveal the color of his boxers (they were white). He has since benched the outfit, now 0-1 in big games, in his closet at home.

“Well, the suit is done. We are going to retire it,” Golding said.

“Obviously it got a lot of sound [bytes], and I’m glad it brought some attention to our university, but I want to make sure moving forward that this team is celebrated,” he explained. “It’s not my hole in my pants, it’s our team, and it’s our university because they deserve it, man.”

“Stories lure us into sports, and Abilene Christian is the best of stories,” wrote Mac Engel in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in a March 19 pregame piece titled “Abilene Christian will slay John Calipari and his merry band of NBA bums from Kentucky.”

That didn’t happen, of course, but the tail end of ACU’s 2018-19 season nevertheless led a renaissance of basketball on campus, united citizens behind one team in its West Texas hometown, and generated worldwide recognition for the university.

In Golding’s vernacular, it was a trip, man: a Pinch Me So I’ll Know This is Real week of a wonderful ride.  – RON HADFIELD

The Wildcats pray before taking the court against Kentucky.

Sophomore guard Paul Hiepler revels in the NCAA Tournament atmosphere as his team takes the court for its initial practice at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena on March 20.

INSET: Golding ponders ACU’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament during his team’s pregame shootaround.

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Senior forward Hayden Farquhar outjumps Kentucky forward EJ Montgomery to win the opening tip of the game.

INSET: ACU’s Jaren Lewis drives around Kentucky forward Nick Richards on his way to the basket. The senior forward led ACU in scoring with 17 points.

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Kentucky head coach John Calipari shouts instructions to his team as guard Immanuel Quickley brings the ball upcourt against ACU.

ACU senior guard Jaylen Franklin drives against Kentucky forward Reid Travis.

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Jaylen Franklin (second from right) embraces Joe Golding as ACU starters exit the game in the second half.

Between tunes, ACU Big Purple basketball band members show their school spirit during the ACU-Kentucky game.

Kentucky head coach John Calipari greets ACU’s Joe Golding at the conclusion of the game.

Golding expresses his postgame appreciation to some of the many ACU fans who traveled to Florida for the game.

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Golding received a five-year extension as ACU head coach after the 2018-19 season.

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NCAA Tournament by the Numbers

Shared USA Today sports cover story

Universities winning men’s and women’s conference hoops tourney titles in 2018-19: ACU (Southland), Buffalo (MAC) and New Mexico State (WAC)

Universities in Texas to earn an NCAA bid (ACU, Baylor, Rice, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech)

Total advertising value equivalent from more than 10,000 media mentions during March Madness broadcast, online and print coverage

Number of Abilene Independent School District kids in attendance at women’s home game vs.

Howard Payne (Nov. 15)

th

Consecutive free throws made by Breanna Wright vs.

Lamar in Southland semifinal

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Men’s rank in CollegeInsider.com Mid Major Top 25 poll

3-pointers made in women’s back-to-back games vs. UIW and Central Arkansas

Mentions of ACU on Facebook during a week of March Madness, roughly one third of the university’s total for the previous year. Total audience reach: 544,575.

Unique pageviews of acu.edu the day of the men’s ACU-Kentucky game, an Abilene Christian record.

Unique pageviews were up 166 percent during March Madness, totaling 339,519 overall.

Nielsen rating of CBS’ primetime TV coverage of the ACU-Kentucky game.

The total of more than 3 million viewers was the most for CBS of a first-round game since 2015, contributing to a total audience reach of 30.7 million people.

Si Robertson March 22

Way to go ACU !! I’m proud of y’all “Jack!!!!”

Number of Facebook followers of Duck Dynasty’s Si Robertson, who gave a shoutout to the Wildcats the day after the ACU-Kentucky game.

Increase in ACU impressions on Twitter during March Madness, compared to a previous average week. ACU’s Instagram account saw a 1,448 percent increase and LinkedIn followers increased 443 percent during March 2019.

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(FROM LEFT) Alyssa Adams, Kamryn Mraz and Madi Miller discuss the women’s bracket on their team bus prior to the game.

Head coach Julie Goodenough prepares pregame instructions for her team.

ACU players prepare for a pregame workout at Baylor’s Ferrell Center.

The Wildcats listen to pregame instructions and pray before their game in Ferrell Arena.

ACU players, coaches and staff head to their assigned team space in the Ferrell Center. The Wildcats joined Baylor, Cal-Berkeley and North Carolina in the field at Waco for first-round NCAA Tournament games.

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The Wildcats huddle before entering Ferrell Arena for the game.

INSET: Julie Goodenough’s teams have won four conference titles in her seven seasons as the Wildcats’ head coach, and at least 20 games four times. She is 144-68 at ACU and 433-288 overall in a career spanning 25 seasons. She received a five-year contract extension after the 2018-19 season.

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ACU junior center Lexi Kirgan shoots over Baylor center Queen Egbo (25). Kirgan led the Wildcats with 10 points in the game.

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ACU junior guard Breanna Wright was voted MVP of the Southland Conference postseason tournament.

The Big Purple basketball band in Waco included 1985 alum Scott McGaha (middle). See page 85 for an image of him and his son and daughter, who performed in the band as well.

ACU guard Sara Williamson was her team’s third leading scorer in 2018-19.

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The ACU-Baylor game was broadcast nationally on ESPN2.

ACU junior guard-forward Dominique Golightly, her team’s second-leading scorer in 2018-19, drives around Baylor forward Aquira DeCosta.

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ACU head coach Julie Goodenough and Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey renewed their friendship in Waco.

Freshman Wildcats Kamryn Mraz (0), Diamond Willcot (24) and Madi Miller (31) join teammates in thanking fans after the game in the Ferrel Center.

ACU fans cheer for the Wildcats in the Ferrell Center.

Breanna Wright (left) and Sara Williamson spoke to media in the postgame press conference.

(Continued from page 5)

vision. This is what [ACU president] Dr. Phil Schubert (’91) and the Board of Trustees wanted to do,” Golding said. “They wanted us to go to the NCAA Division I level so we could share the story of our great university.”

Kentucky head coach John Calipari – whose 12-man roster was populated by six former McDonald’s All-Americans, three of whom were selected in the first round of the NBA Draft this spring – cautioned Bluegrass State fans about overconfidence.

“Abilene, I don’t know that much about,” Calipari said, “but if they’re in [the tournament], they shoot 3s, which means that if they make 20, we lost in the first round.”

Golding’s team, however, started colder than a blue norther from the Panhandle. ACU opened the game 5 of 26 from the field and committed eight turnovers.

The purple Wildcats trailed the blue ones at the half, 39-13. They regrouped during the intermission and battled back gamely with a 40-31 second-half effort before falling 79-44.

“You know, our defense made it difficult,” Calipari said in the postgame press conference.

“I told Coach Joe, what a year they had, winning their tournament, winning their league. That is so hard, especially when everything rides on that one game. And he’s done a – just turned it around.”

Later that week in Waco, Goodenough speculated in a pregame press conference about her team’s prospects.

“It’s a daunting task. I saw on ESPN a couple days ago that the

15- and 16-seeds’ records in the last 29 years are 1 for 231. It’s a really tough matchup for us,” she said.

“All we can control is to work hard and practice every day, focus on the things that we do well. You do need shots to fall for sure. You need some rebounds to bounce your way, as well, and our team just needs to come in and be scrappy. We have nothing to lose at all.”

Baylor clamped down on defense from the start, limiting ACU to 1 of 17 shooting from the field and 1 of 11 from beyond the arc. The Bears started with a 20-0 run and cruised to a 61-25 rebounding margin and 95-38 win.

Afterward, Goodenough put the season in perspective.

“People don’t remember back in the fall, we were picked sixth in the Southland Conference, and here we are playing in our first-ever NCAA Tournament. Our team has really overcome a lot of odds and really exceeded expectations of everybody outside of our locker room,” she said.

“I can’t say enough about our team and our program. This is our sixth year to play Division I and we have won three conference championships, so we feel like we’re headed in the right direction,” Goodenough said.

Goliath handily won both battles this time. Most importantly, David lived to fight – and play – another day.

ACU’s road to March Madness is no longer just a vision, and these Wildcats can show you the way. 

Buy 2019-20 season and single-game tickets at acusports.com/tickets

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MICHAEL BLANTON O U T S TA N D I N G A L U M N U S O F T H E Y E A R hen Michael Blanton (’74) moved to Nashville, Tennessee, for a second time in 1979, musicians made money by selling CDs. Those days are gone. Blanton is not. Over four decades, Blanton survived and thrived, and helped many other artists do the same.

The Amarillo, Texas, native was honored in February as ACU’s Outstanding Alumnus of the Year. He’s been honored before by the university in 1986 as the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication alumnus of the year, and by the industry where he’s a legend with his 2017 induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

The music industry has been forced by digital revolution to undergo a complete paradigm shift since Blanton first arrived in Nashville more than 40 years ago. He rode out the tumult that bankrupted others by being creative – though not with a guitar or piano – and by being an instrument of encouragement in the lives of those he’s discovered, developed, promoted and produced.

The business Blanton built with Dan Harrell has grown since 1980 into multiple other enterprises that have influenced the music and entertainment industry. The pair have more than 70 million sales resulting in multiple platinum and gold records, network television shows, film projects, books and more.

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“When I graduated in 1974, I had no idea where I was going to go,” Blanton said. So when Don Finto (’50) called and offered him a job at the Koinonia bookstore operated by the Belmont Church, he went. He tried for two years to get into the music business, then decided, “It’s not going to happen. It’s time to go back to Texas and get a job.”

He took one as executive director of civic affairs with the Abilene Chamber of Commerce and planned the city’s bicentennial celebration. In 1977, Word Records, then located in Waco, hired him as a young A&R (artists and repertoire) representative. A year and a half later, Blanton convinced Word to relocate him and his wife, Paula (Mayfield ’76) to Nashville to open the Word Records office on Music Row. Michael and Paula settled back in at Belmont Church and he began working with the youth group. Amy Grant was 15 when Blanton invited her to attend. Grant told the audience at the Alumni Day Luncheon that Blanton’s invitation changed her forever. It changed a lot of things.

Blanton/Harrell Production and Management launched in 1980 with one client – Grant.

“Part of what has made a great partnership with Dan was he came from a business background and I came from A&R, so we make a great partnership. He was very black and white. I had 50 miles of gray in between black and white,” Blanton said. That 50 miles is where Blanton’s creativity

and encouragement merged.

“In the early years, with Amy, Michael W. Smith and Rich Mullins, when people still made money selling music, I got to be the creative, from covers to tour design to songs we’d pick. I got to speak into the way it looks – that was a great time for me,” Blanton said.

Blanton found he had a gift for looking at songs and artists in a different way, and he thought music should be fun. “There was no Christian contemporary music then.

There was Gospel music, and it was not youthful,” he explained.

Blanton thinks their belief in fun made an impact well beyond the contemporary Christian market.

“I think because of what we did with Amy, Michael, Gary Chapman – what we did with Christian pop in the ’80s and ’90s – it had a direct influence on what happened in country music.”

Over time, songs started being written for the country market that would have been in the Christian market a few years earlier.

Christian artists started appearing on country charts and country artists on contemporary Christian music charts.

“As a country artist, you could talk about your faith. That began to steal some of the thunder of what had happened in Christian music. No one expected that,” he said. “Almost all country artists I meet with – they have some sort of strong faith statement to make while they’re also talking about having fun, and about carousing and drinking and trucks.”

As the industry changed, Blanton

2019 Alumni Awards Outstanding Alumnus of the Year

Provides timely recognition of the lifetime achievement of an individual who has brought honor to ACU through personal and professional excellence and service to the university, the church or the community.

Young Alumnus of the Year

Recognizes professional achievement and/or distinguished service to ACU. To be eligible, a recipient must not be over 40 years of age at the time of selection.

Distinguished Alumni Citation

ED RODE

Recognizes distinctive personal or professional achievement that has merited the honor and praise of peers and colleagues.

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BRANDI JO DELONY

Michael Blanton (left) and his two tribute speakers from the Alumni Day Luncheon: Amy Grant and Stephen Mansfield (’88 M.L.A.)

redirected his creativity. “People called me the option guy. They say I’m creative – I have this innate ability to say, ‘This is the situation. What are the many options we can do to get around this and to survive it?’ ” That ability was critical when eventually, people weren’t buying songs or CDs, or even downloads.

He says iTunes is going away because people aren’t downloading anymore.

They’re just streaming.

Artists keep coming, though.

At least twice a week, someone brings him an artist or a song.

“I do my quick evaluation,” he said. “Do I like the voice, the sound, the song?” Blanton listens. “If I like it, then I need to meet the artist to discover attitude, willingness to listen and work.”

If that goes well, he begins with the next round of questions and plans. “How will we record?

Who will handle presentation on Spotify? Social media marketing, mainstream marketing, radio, song listing? Then we build a plan to sign with a record company or publishing house,” he said.

And that’s the phase where creativity and encouragement come together.

Blanton’s daughter, Chelsea (Blanton ’04) Drimmel, who works in the business, compiled an impressive collection of video greetings for the Alumni Day Luncheon from a virtual who’s who of the Christian music industry. The greetings and 22

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kudos were unscripted, brief, funny, heartfelt. Nearly all said Blanton is the most encouraging person they know. One colleague said of his compassion and encouragement, “Michael could fire you and you thought it was the best day of your life.”

Grant said, “In all the years of working with Mike I’ve never heard him say a negative thing about anybody else. Just let that sit there a minute. I think that is because he sees the world with great compassion – and he inherited that from his mom and dad. When you see the world with compassion, it’s poised for miracles.”

Blanton also attributes the lesson of encouragement to his family, and to the Panhandle culture where he was raised. “An incredible thing in Texas, especially Amarillo, is a graciousness about taking care of other people – putting them before yourself. If anything has served me well in Nashville, it’s that.”

Some would call the discovery of Amy Grant a miracle. Others thought it was a miracle when Blanton took on Michael W. Smith, who was well respected as a great piano player but couldn’t get any traction as a vocalist.

“Michael came in as a songwriter and played, ‘You Need a Savior’ and ‘Great is the Lord,’ and he played ‘Friends’ and I told him, ‘If you’ll write 10 more like this, I’ll make an album.’ Two weeks later, he came back with them. We made an album

with just $13,000, and it just took off.”

One of the things he’s most proud of, and grateful for, is the staying power of the music he’s touched in some fashion. In 2006, more than 25 years after producing Grant’s first album, Contemporary Christian Music Magazine published a list of the Top 100 Greatest Songs in Christian Music. Three of the top five – and 17 in all – were songs Blanton found and developed.

That staying power personifies his plans for the future. He has a music and entertainment consulting business and is working alongside Hacksaw Ridge producer Terry Benedict to create a film development company. He still works with young artists, and he just started a songwriting university using a digital platform allowing people around the world to learn from the industry's best songwriters.

Blanton carries with him a 1993 clipping from the Nashville newspaper headlined “They were Ageless,” listing accomplishments of famous people when they were in their 60s, 70s and 80s.

“For all the things God’s allowed me to do to this point … It’s a bigger scale than I’d ever thought about,” he admitted. “I’m just saying, ‘God, until you say it’s over we’re going to keep creating content that exposes our faith and encourages others in their faith walk for their life journey.’ ” Grant told those gathered at the luncheon that for a time she had chosen to read “just the red words” in her Bible and came across Jesus’ words, “As you have believed, so it has come to pass.” She was struck by the power of believing, and recalled them again as she considered how to describe her lifelong mentor, colleague and friend.

“What I think about Mike,” she said. “He is a true believer.” 

– DR. CHERYL MANN BACON

YO U N G A LU M N U S O F T H E Y E A R

KARA WILSON GARCíA

JENNY BROWN

f Kara Wilson García (’07) had any doubts she belonged in El Salvador working to protect children’s rights, they disappeared around the time she and several colleagues were kicked out of the country’s child protection system office for pointing out severe flaws in its practices.

That was mid-2011, and Wilson García had been in El Salvador less than a year at that point. She had visited the country at age 14 on a church mission trip, and moved there in November 2010 after earning a bachelor’s degree in missions and Spanish from ACU and a master’s degree in international development from Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid, Spain. She wanted to serve the people of El Salvador, and various jobs put her in touch with the child protection system.

Partnering with the government, she launched a pilot program to review cases of children who went through the system. A law passed in 2011, based on United Nations guidelines, was interpreted as mandating that all children who had been placed in institutional housing be returned to biological family members, Wilson García said, no matter if the family was sufficiently able to to care for them.

She suspected children were being hurt and living in unhealthy situations in the process, and the research she and the social worker and psychologist she hired told them she was right. That’s how they ended up removed from government premises, holding their belongings in boxes.

“That was the start,” Wilson García said. “I really understood that this was a really big need and that that was why God had sent me to El Salvador. It was divine timing.”

She soon founded Project RED (reintegration, education and development), a nonprofit comprised of social workers, psychologists and program coordinators who work with families to ensure children have safe and supportive places to call home. The staff of more than 20 – Wilson García is the only American – receives referrals from judges who preside over cases in which children are sent to live with their families, and approaches each case by focusing on the three areas of intervention represented in the nonprofit’s name: reintegrating children into a dignified physical environment, providing access and opportunities for child and adult education, and facilitating emotional, spiritual and personal development.

Wilson García is also broadening the scope of Project RED to advocacy and is passionate about changing El Salvador’s law to better serve the rights of children and families.

She credits ACU in many ways for helping prepare her for her time in El Salvador and solidifying her value system.

“ACU is honored through Project RED,” Wilson García said at the February 2019 Alumni Day Luncheon, where she was honored as ACU’s Young Alumnus of the Year and was joined by her husband, Óscar, whom she married in El Salvador in 2018. “I believe that the values I have learned, not only in my time as a student here but my whole life, are reflected in what we do at Project RED.” 

– SARAH CARLSON

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hen Katie Coldwell (’00) graduated from ACU with two business degrees, a love for travel and a deep sense of purpose, Southwest Airlines seemed to be a natural fit. Nineteen years later, Coldwell is still there, serving as the company’s director of communications.

“I love the work I do,” she said.

“I believe it’s meaningful.” Her job includes leading Southwest’s Corporate Communication team to create the airline company’s voice, educate and inspire its more than 58,000 employees, develop Southwest’s corporate citizenship, and foster the unique and outstanding reputation for which the organization, founded by the late innovator Herb Kelleher, is known.

Coldwell first set her sights on the airline industry as a student at ACU, when she became inspired by the Mark Twain quote: “Travel is the enemy of prejudice.” She understood the power travel holds when people experience new places and cultures 24

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– DEANA NALL

TOM AUCLAIR

KIM LEESON

KATIE COLDWELL

firsthand. But Southwest’s purpose, “to connect people to what’s important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel,” recognizes a deeper value that has always resonated with her.

“In addition to seeing new cultures, people also travel because they have something in their lives they want to be present for,” she said.

“They want to see a grandbaby, go to a wedding, close a business deal or say goodbye to a loved one. People look to us to get them where they want to be in the most important times of their lives. I love that I get to be part of that.”

Coldwell says ACU’s mission of educating students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world has stayed with her in her career and volunteerism. She is a 15-year board member of Dry Bones Denver, an urban mission among homeless teens and young adults in Colorado’s largest city, and has served as board president for the past six years. She also volunteers with the teens at Prestoncrest Church of Christ, her church home in Dallas, Texas.

“My friendships and experiences at ACU created a desire to serve,” Coldwell said. “I believe that regardless of degree plan, every one of us has the opportunity to participate in our communities using the talents we’ve been given.”

In the spirit of investing in others, Coldwell has connected many ACU alums to careers at Southwest.

“I truly believe in creating connections and in walking alongside others as they grow in their careers,” she said. “It’s always better to navigate life with trusted friends or mentors by your side. And when you find a great place to work, it’s just natural to want to share it with others.”

DOUG FERGUSON hen Doug Ferguson (’83) became the 30th and newest recipient of the Professional Golf Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism, it was no gimme putt honor from admiring peers.

“He’s got a lot of James Brown in him; you know, he’s the hardest-working man in the business,” said veteran USA Today/Golfweek writer Steve DiMeglio in a tribute video accompanying Ferguson’s award in April 2019.

Being compared to a rhythm and blues music legend may seem an awfully long drive down the fairway of golf analogies, but Ferguson’s storytelling certainly imparts the soul of a sport he describes so well.

He has been the lead golf writer for Associated Press for 20 years, and is arguably the most-read scribe on the planet who covers the PGA’s nearly year-round weekly tournaments for millions of fans.

Tour insiders know Ferguson as

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the hard-working (100 hours a week during the season), friendly but stoic fellow wearing loud Hawaiian shirts who knows the sport, inside and out.

“Whatever award Doug gets, he deserves,” said Jack Nicklaus in the same PGA tribute video. “I’ve got [a] world of respect for him.” That’s high praise from the golf legend whose record 18 major pro championships are the standard all others hope to attain, yet may never meet. Tiger Woods, whose mercurial pro career has paralleled Ferguson’s in length the past two decades, comes closest.

“I’ve been there for all 15 of his majors and probably 70 of his 81 PGA Tour wins,” Ferguson said of Woods, the golfer whose first name alone is sufficient for international recognition.

Conversely, few golf fans probably realize the growing cadre of ACU-educated journalists and other professionals who help document the pro tours each week, including Emmy Award-winning CBS executive producer and ACU trustee Lance Barrow (’77), and veteran announcer Grant Boone (’91), who is the radio and TV voice of the Wildcats in his spare time. The coincidence is not lost on Ferguson, whose reputation stands tall among them.

“I look forward to seeing everyone, especially at events broadcast by CBS Sports,” he said. “Lance has been such a huge influence in all his work – he was legendary when I was at ACU for the way he worked his way up from a spotter at CBS, and it feels like family to see both of them out there. Grant is the consummate pro and both carry themselves with such high levels of courtesy and grace. And now we have Mary Kate Rotenberry (’17) starting out in TV, always learning and asking questions and widening the family.

It’s pretty unusual to find that many people directly involved in golf from any university. Pretty special.”

LARA (SEIBERT) YOUNG ara (Seibert ’06) Young has always found a stage.

Most recently, you could find her on Broadway in Chicago.

Before that, she toured with Hugh Jackman in his arena tour, Hugh Jackman: Broadway to Oz. Next, she’ll appear in The Sting with Harry Connick Jr. And many other stages paved the way to where she is now.

Growing up in Dallas, Texas, Young trained with the Dallas-Fort Worth Ballet and Ballet Austin. While other people her age were hoping to land a part in the school play, Young was performing as a soloist at Fort Worth’s Bass Hall in the Appreciate Jazz festival, and she also spent a season with the Shakespeare Festival of Dallas.

So by the time Young arrived at ACU, she was more than ready to dive in to student productions – onstage and behind the scenes. “Teaching Lara was a joy,” said Jeannette (Scruggs ’50) Lipford, assistant

professor emerita of voice who served as Young’s vocal coach at ACU. “It was exciting to see her develop and bloom into an engaging singer and talented actress.”

Young was cast in a number of ACU lead roles, including Lois/Bianca in Kiss Me Kate and Miranda in The Tempest. She performed alongside Ben Jeffrey (’06), a fellow ACU theatre alum who also is making a career on Broadway, currently as Pumbaa in The Lion King.

He described Young as a “classic triple threat” – an incredible dancer, a gifted actress and a singing voice that wouldn’t quit. Despite her many stage talents, Jeffrey said, the acclaim has never gone to her head.

“She has it all, and you can’t even dislike her for it, because she’s so lovely as a person,” he said. “She loves her family. She’s kind to strangers and her friends. She loves Jesus. And she is a passionate, dedicated performer, a pinnacle of professionalism, who has proved time and again that she is not only one of the finest performers ever to come through ACU, she’s also one of the finest people.”

After graduating with her B.F.A. in 2006, Young performed in the choruses and in understudy roles in The Producers and Young Frankenstein, and ultimately settled in New York with her husband, Andrew Young (’05), son Aiden and daughter Lillian.

But she has never forgotten her roots, having returned to campus to assist with theatre fundraising events and to perform in February 2019 at the 50th annual President’s Circle Dinner.

“I am so proud of the person and artist she has been and continues to grow into,” Jeffrey said. “She’s Broadway dynamite, a fantastic mom and a beautiful human being inside and out. I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this honor from ACU.” 

– DEANA NALL

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GREG KENDALL-BALL

Dr. William J. Teague, ACU’s ninth president GORDON TRICE

The Difference-Maker

BY RON HADFIELD

ith exacting detail and equal measures of humor and mystery, the first on-campus funeral for a former Abilene Christian University president held serve Dec. 6, 2018, on the indoor tennis courts of the Teague Center, named for Dr. William J. and Margaret “Peggy” Teague.

Life-size photo enlargements of Teague – ACU’s ninth president – stood in the corners of Court 1, with posters of his quotable wisdom on easels and a pine box displayed between U.S. and Texas flags.

Guests arrived at 11:57 a.m., a nod to his signature starting time for noontime meetings. They were surprised to dine on beef tenderloin, shrimp and other delicacies catered by famous Perini Ranch Steakhouse.

Tributes were brief, one hymn (“I’m Not Ashamed to Own My Lord”) and one school song (“Oh Dear Christian College”) were sung a cappella by those gathered, and a solo of his favorite secular song (“Danny Boy”) was performed.

It was unconventional, hilarious at times, touching, unexpected and memorable.

In other words, mission accomplished: the first laidback liturgical lunch and memorial service in memory of a president on our hilltop campus, another signature moment attributed to one of the most innovative and sometimes misunderstood leaders in Abilene Christian history.

Misunderstood? Yes, at times. To some, Bill Teague was a perplexing visionary – demanding and as hard to figure as to please.

To others, he was loyal, sensitive, inspirational and the owner of a wicked sense of humor as surgical as his forehand drop shot on the court.

Dr. William J. and Margaret “Peggy” Teague

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goestennis here matches.

The Teague Center is home to ACU Athletics, Celebration Hall and a venue for special eventsCaption and indoor KEVIN HALLIBURTON

REMEMBERING DR. WILLIAM J. TEAGUE 1927 - 2018

All those attributes rang true for the former president, a Navy veteran who delighted in zigging when others expected him to zag, even on the day when friends and family gathered to pay their final respects.

Teague’s last-second shot won a Texas high school title for the Nocona Indians in 1944.

Teague presented an honorary doctorate to Charlton Heston in 1991.

GORDON TRICE

His inaugural address, delivered Feb. 19, 1982, in Moody Coliseum, offered plenty of clues to the man ACU trustees had selected to lead his alma mater. True to his word, he made many of the points a mantra for his management style over a decade (1981-91) of tremendous growth for the university.

Teague’s speech referred to great challenges to Christian higher education, and few easy answers.

He believed new levels of giving must be generated. Improvement and excellence were expected. Spiritual priorities must continue to be exalted on campus. Great leaders must first be servants. And higher education must inspire within each student the desire to make moral, life-altering choices.

He welcomed change even when

TEAGUE FAMILY

Raising standards

others ran from it, but set and fiercely protected clear boundaries. “If our founding principles must be sacrificed as an alternative to survival, then let us die honorably – to the glory of God,” he said that afternoon.

The U.S. was reeling from a major recession and high unemployment when trustees hired Teague in 1981. He was chosen because of his corporate background as an executive with Fortune 500 companies (Kerr-Magee Corp. and Purex Industries Inc.), a deft hand with major fundraising campaigns, experience in Christian higher education management at Harding and Pepperdine universities, and a network of friends in business and politics around the nation, especially in California, where he ran for Congress twice and narrowly lost an election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1968.

Teague played a major role in the planning and implementation of Pepperdine’s move from south central Los Angeles to a panoramic

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beachfront hillside in Malibu, where the institution thrived and became a respected national university with roots in Churches of Christ.

“He is unusually well-prepared, by education, experience, temperament and character to take the job on, and he will do an outstanding job for all of us as president,” his predecessor, eighth president Dr. John C. Stevens (’38), said at the time.

Teague brought new ideas and indefatigable energy to Abilene, and impatience with mediocrity or those who gave less than their best effort.

In an interview with West Texas Business in late 1982, he said, “We’ve long since passed the time when lazy, inefficient or incompetent performance at a Christian college could be excused because ‘we’re brethren who adhere to the same religious beliefs and attend the same church.’ A university that claims its educational philosophy is rooted in Christian values cannot consistently tolerate mediocrity.”

He certainly pushed for major changes around his alma mater.

Advancements in the Teague era included major upgrades in campus infrastructure, starting with a new

wing on Brown Library in 1984 and construction of the Mabee Business Building in 1986. The Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Building (1989), accessible thanks to the forward-thinking relocation of Judge Ely Boulevard (1992), created a new front door for the university via an entryway the Board of Trustees chose to name Teague Boulevard.

With Teague’s encouragement, campus architecture was forever changed in the 1980s by the influence of the late William R. Waugh (’59), a trustee and successful Dallas entrepreneur known for imagining one-of-a-kind restaurants with an eye for design and customer experience.

The pair’s input into new buildings for the College of Business Administration and College of Biblical Studies continues to shape ACU’s skyline today.

Edwards and other residence halls were remodeled or refurbished, electrical utility lines were moved underground, and the return of intercollegiate baseball in 1991 resulted in Crutcher Scott Field rising from farmland on the northeast corner of campus.

Academic initiatives included

offering the university’s first doctoral degree (Doctor of Ministry in 1987), a Board of Visitors program (1983), an Honors Program (1984), study abroad (1988), cooperative degree programs in electrical engineering (1989) and dentistry (1990), the Jack Pope Fellows program (1985), Voice Institute of West Texas (1986), Center for the Study of Aging (1986), National Public Radio affiliate KACU-FM (1986), and multiple endowed chairs and professorships for faculty.

ACU’s first campus-wide computer system was begun, along with Welcome Week for freshmen (1984), a summer camps program, ACU Press (1984), and the Sports Hall of Fame (1986). He named the university’s first woman as vice president (1946 alumna, the late Patsy Powell Duncan). The first woman (1944 alumna, the late Mary Frazier Clark) and African-American (1974 grad Terry Childers) were elected trustees, and board membership was broadened to include non-Texas residents.

In the mid 1980s, he led an impassioned defense when a critic’s book accused two ACU biology professors of teaching evolution as

GORDON TRICE

Teague’s vision for a new east entrance to campus changed the landscape along Abilene’s Judge Ely Boulevard.

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1927 - 2018

fact. He raised expectations of head coaches for improving the academic performance of student-athletes, hired academic advisors and peer tutors for teams, and strengthened programs with endowments. He was especially proud of his fundraising work to provide new uniforms for the Big Purple Marching Band.

While he was president, ACU raised more than $78 million in the 1980s, and the endowment grew more than three-fold ($18 to $56 million), net worth more than doubled ($52.8 to $119.6 million) and scholarships increased nearly four fold ($1.2 to $4.7 million).

The Teague era made an indelible mark on ACU.

Adding style to substance Born July 12, 1927, in Olney, Texas, Teague was no stranger to tough times. He was a young teen when his father died, leaving his mother to rear him by herself in Nocona during the Great Depression. He was the youngest of six sons and the hard-working family was poor.

When he became president, Teague sought to reverse a self-deprecating tendency at Abilene Christian and among its supporters.

“We [ACU] had a poor beginning.

Modesty was part of our style.

Dr. Teague changed that,” said former head tennis coach and director of athletics Cecil Eager (’70) at the memorial service, listing some of Teague’s more notable changes, improvements and innovations.

“He took great traditions and added style to them – style added to the substance.”

A particular focus became special events, which became known under Teague’s direction for their quality, organization and efficiency. ACU fundraising affairs, such as the 1991 tribute to MLB pitcher Nolan Ryan at the Arlington (Texas) Convention Center. The music department was feted in concerts at New York City’s Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Annual President’s Circle Dinners featured Oscar winners Charlton Heston and John Housman, country music recording artist Barbara Mandrell, and other guest speakers whose values aligned with the university or who became major benefactors.

One of Teague’s first invited speakers to campus was the late H. Ross Perot, who headlined

opening convocation on the first day of classes in Fall 1982, offering a spot-on observation of ACU: “The happiest people you’ll ever know are those who have a strong religious conviction, who love it and who live it.” Teague presented his first honorary doctoral degree to the legendary Texas entrepreneur.

Teague reveled in growing the convocation’s pageantry, eventually turning it into what is known today as Opening Assembly.

The occasion is big and bold and still bears his influence through the international Parade of Flags ceremony Teague started in 1986, accompanied by the Big Purple Band’s rendition of “Olympic Fanfare and Theme.” A patriotic element has since been moved to other celebrations in Moody Coliseum, but there is little doubt the event’s grand scale and demeanor are owed to Teague’s style and vision for a memorable occasion. Opening Assembly remains a destination event for community and government leaders, Dyess Air Force base officials, alumni, emeriti and interested local citizens who appreciate ACU’s unique way to celebrate its legacy, welcome students GORDON TRICE

Teague was an engaging public speaker, whether in pulpits or behind the podium at countless campus events.

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and jump-start a new academic year.

A veteran PR spokesperson in the business world, Teague had a strong interest in corporate communications and in managing media relations.

He fostered the development of a centralized marketing and PR organization that produces this award-winning magazine along with other publications and tools created to recruit students, raise funds and increase the reputation of ACU among it audiences and cohorts.

Teague was an expert communicator and as engaging a speaker as ever stood behind a podium and microphone in Abilene.

He was in great demand as an emcee for corporate events around the nation, as adept at speaking to business leaders as reciting Edgar Allen Poe”s “The Raven” to high school English classes.

He was well-read and strategic at heart, thinking several steps ahead of others at all times. “Hilltop Imagineer,” a 2006 profile of Teague

by Dr. Cheryl Mann Bacon (’76) in The ACU Century, painted an excellent word picture of the man.

He was unyielding in his deep beliefs and sparred with many a college dean, professor and staff member when he perceived a better way to do things. He was not a fan of tenure for faculty, and could be maddeningly quick to change plans, strategies and the responsibilities of those he employed. A savvy tennis player and former hero of his high school state basketball championship team, he was highly competitive, constantly seeking an advantage and opportunity for victory. Just ask those with whom he often played hoops at lunchtime in Moody (the NBA, or Noon Basketball Association).

“Hit it as hard as you can, right at them,” said his son, Tom Teague (’71), of his father’s advice in tennis, business and life.

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was a highly intellectual guy,” said Brad Cheves, J.D. (’84), Teague’s first special assistant who is now vice president for development and external affairs at Southern Methodist University. “But he pushed ACU to move forward as an institution and not settle for a more deliberative process. He knew Christian higher education could transform lives, saw the new frontiers that could be reached, and wanted it done, and soon.”

If Teague was outworked by anyone, the list was short. He took volumes of materials home each night and on trips, returning with tasks for his executive assistant, the late Betty Whiteside, to retrieve from tapes generated by his voice recorder. Barbara (Tubbs ’71) Hejl, his assistant while he was chancellor, continued the practice.

Teague’s direct personality and sometimes brusque management style contrasted with the way he always took time to sincerely praise and thank people for a job well done and for going the extra mile.

He carried stacks of monogrammed cards on which he hand-wrote short but heart-felt notes, thousands of them a year.

He brainstormed a marketing initiative in 1985 – Caring, Serving, Excelling: The ACU Difference – that far outran the campaign’s life.

The last three words still find their way today into testimonies, speeches and even social media, with most unaware of their origin. He honored hundreds of faculty, staff and students with Caring and Serving and Excelling awards at gatherings where they could be recognized by peers.

‘I will make the best of this’ Teague had entered a potentially dynamic stage of his service as chancellor when he suffered a stroke just before Father’s Day in 2002.

He and Peggy had visited a local market for “a worthwhile cantaloupe”

as he described it, their Saturday morning drive ending – nearly tragically – when stroke symptoms affected his driving.

He was hospitalized for nearly two months, and rather than continue work as an influential executive fundraiser, he began rehab and life with a wheelchair, his words slowed but not stilled by the stroke’s effects.

True to form, he did not give up.

“I will make the best of this,” he told Tom and Tom’s sisters, Susan Reid (’74) and Dr. Helen Teague (’83), and grandchildren Bill Teague and Amelia Louise Teague Wildman (’11).

Teague attended church services, home basketball games and major events, and devised a game of tennis he could play while seated, with the help of a couple of volunteers. He cheered at home football games from his van, parked above the south end zone at Shotwell Stadium, near the home locker room. He saw just one game in person at on-campus Wildcat Stadium, seated alongside the late Wally Bullington (’52), legendary athletics director and head football coach.

Peggy passed away in February 2015. They were wed 66 years, and for many of them her husband was the most reliable importer of Blue Bell ice cream from its “little creamery” in Brenham, Texas. Long before the frozen delicacy was carried in Abilene stores, he ensured his bride’s freezer was well stocked, carrying gallons home from Weatherford in a Coleman cooler chilled by dry ice.

“We can’t return to Abilene without more Blue Bell,” he told his former assistant Cheves, who doubled as Teague’s driver on countless business trips in 1984-86.

“Mrs. Teague wouldn’t like that.”

“He was a man of lifelong love for his wife, and they walked side by side, each the other’s strongest and most loyal supporter,” said vice president

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Dr. Gary McCaleb (’64). “Their legacy of love for each other, for their family and for the alma mater of their family was never in doubt.”

Teague was ever-present at Opening Assembly. He wore purple and from a place on the aisle where he could watch his beloved Parade of Flags, he reflected, often with tears in his eyes, on the place where he discovered his career and purpose.

“He loved ACU and Christian higher education in general, and worked tirelessly to advance them,” said president Dr. Phil Schubert (’91).

“His commitment to excellence is legendary among those who knew him and were challenged to the highest standards because of his example.”

Tom Teague told the memorial service crowd that despite great personal and professional accomplishments, his father was not concerned about his own legacy. “He would say to you: ‘Be not ashamed of your faith, of your circumstance in life, of your purpose in life.’ ” WJT, as he often signed his note cards, concluded in 1990 his final essay in ACU Today magazine with thoughts about the coming new decade and the sunset of his presidency:

Teague faithfully attended Opening Assembly the first day of school each August, and watched the Parade of Flags tradition he started in 1986 while serving as ACU’s ninth president.

“… Now is not the time to cut our academic quality or to stand still while other universities keep up with advances in ideas and technology. When drastic changes occur in our world, people turn to universities to prepare them to face the new opportunities. ACU must not shrink from the call for excellence.

Mediocrity seems inexpensive until it costs you everything.”

PAUL WHITE

“Dr. Teague had a big view of ACU’s unique place in the world,” Cheves said. “He had this wonderful sense of both history and heritage.”

He deserves for history to view him kindly as a strong-minded yet benevolent leader with both eyes set on the horizon of a university he and Peggy loved deeply. 

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EXCEPTIONAL | ACU’s Vision to become the premier university for the education of Christ-centered global leaders means building upon areas of strength and distinctiveness, and delivering a unique, Christ-centered experience that draws students into community.

ACUTV student staff fill the Mankin Control Room on campus each game day to produce content for ESPN+.

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GAME CHANGER STATE-OF-ART FACILITIES HELP ACUTV STAND TALL IN TV PRODUCTION, PROVIDE ESPN WITH BROADCAST-WORTHY COVERAGE OF THE WILDCATS

By Grant Boone • Photography by Jeremy Enlow and Scott Delony

hat happened in the Wildcats’ home football game Sept. 29 wasn’t the highlight of the 2018 season – a 44-34 loss to Southland Conference rival UIW. But what transpired concurrently a few hundred feet across campus made history and headlines for one of ACU’s most respected academic programs.

That was the day ESPN came to ACU. Or more accurately, the day ACU went to ESPN. Through a partnership between the network and the university, a crew comprised primarily of students working out of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication’s shiny, new TV production suite produced the game broadcast; and it aired live on ESPN+, the online channel recently launched by the self-described “Worldwide Leader in Sports.”

Arriving at that point was the result of years of numerous campus teammates digging, literally and figuratively, beneath the surface. Understanding why that moment mattered and what opportunities the studio presents to ACU and its students in the years to come requires a look back at the words that incarnated a dream.

First, a point of clarification: This was not the first time a game featuring an ACU team had been on one of the ESPN family of

networks, the ever-burgeoning multimedia conglomerate of channels accessible via television and the internet. But in every other instance, the game was produced by a professional crew: either ESPN’s own, as was the case in the Wildcats’ 2014 football game against Georgia State on ESPNU; or an independently contracted unit like the Southland Conference hires to televise the league’s postseason basketball tournaments on ESPN’s online platforms.

This was different.

“We have been on ESPN and CBS Sports Network before,” said Hutton Harris (’08), who was hired by ACU in 2017 to run the TV studio. “But a student-run production is a really big deal. We used non-professionals to do a professional job. That is a moment I’ll never forget, even if people didn’t fully understand what was happening behind the scenes.”

Behind the scenes and under. The studio Harris oversees is housed in the Don H. Morris Center and includes a state-of-the-art control room filled with equipment valued at $2.5 million and a set designed by ACU assistant professor of art and design Dr. Nil Santana (’00 M.S.), from which the production team shoots shows highlighting three Wildcat

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“Every single person who has walked in there – and I’m not exaggerating – has been wowed.”

- HUTTON HARRIS teams and their head coaches that air on local television and online.

What also takes this project to new heights are its depths: miles of underground fiber optic tie-lines connect the control room to Wildcat Stadium, Moody Coliseum, Hunter Welcome Center, Williams Performing Arts Center, Cullen Auditorium and the Teague Center.

The new ACUTV enterprise can produce a telecast of any event in or near those venues, effectively blanketing the entire 208-acre campus footprint.

The mastermind behind this project is Ben Mankin (’98), a JMC graduate and founder/CEO of Mankin Media Systems in Nashville, Tennessee.

“Instead of all of those departments having two or three cameras themselves,” Mankin said, “we now have six to eight cameras and a studio that can produce anything from Sing Song to a football game.”

The technological connectivity Mankin coordinated is nothing compared to the matrix of university personnel he helped bring together to make the project happen. When Wildcat Stadium was being built three years ago, Mankin knew the facility would need video production capability and assumed plans would call for something to be installed in the stadium itself. Aware that the JMC department was in the midst of a campaign to renovate its 40-year-old TV studio, the cutting-edge media pro went old school and picked up the telephone.

He called Kevin Roberts (’88), who at the time was ACU’s vice president for planning and operations, and recommended they centrally locate a high-definition hub for the university.

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reinforced an idea Dr. Cheryl Mann Bacon (’76), then the JMC department chair, had been championing on campus.

“I visited with practically anyone who would listen to me,” remembered Bacon, “and said, ‘There’s really no reason to put a broadcast production facility in the stadium when we’re trying to raise the money to put one right here (in the Morris Center).’

We were blessed to have enough room to create a top-flight studio and control room.”

Those meetings Mankin initiated and Roberts arranged became the project’s ground zero as the involved parties pooled their resources – an amount significant enough, when added to other generous gifts from private donors and foundations, to greenlight the much-needed makeover of what had become JMC’s weak link, an outdated TV studio and control room.

With enough funding in place for JMC to begin the renovation, Mankin agreed to donate his time and expertise to design and build the space. And to fill it, he went the extra mile. Knowing that NBC would rent various items, such as high-tech camera lenses, for its extensive television coverage of the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, Mankin arranged for ACU to purchase the equipment from the manufacturer after the Games were over at a drastically discounted price: gold-standard goods for bronze-level pricing.

Construction on the new control room began in 2016, and it was ready for the grand opening of Wildcat Stadium in Fall 2017.

“Every single person who has walked in there – and I’m not exaggerating – has been wowed,” said Harris.

“I said to a trustee a few years back,” Bacon recalled, “ ‘I want my program to be Division I too. I want the resources to hire the people, to have the space, to make this absolutely as good as what others talk about when they talk about DI athletics. I want that in this academic space.’ ” “This is what NCAA Division I looks like,” said ACU’s director of athletics, Allen Ward, about the facilities. He would know. He came to Abilene after nearly 30 years at the University of North Texas and Murray State University, two institutions long established at the NCAA’s top level.

Someone else who knows his stuff went one better.

“It’s a top-of-the-line facility,” said Skip Hill, ESPN’s coordinator of the approximately 175 universities with which the network partners in campus production. “The fiber connectivity to the sports venues is huge and allows us to maximize our output. Plus, ACU has great production equipment. The two 75X lenses change the entire ‘look’ of your productions. ACU’s production crew can shoot close-ups of players and coaches that aren’t possible with smaller lenses.”

Hill’s tip of the cap is even weightier considering the lineup of channels ESPN operates, which includes the SEC Network, the University of Texas-centered Longhorn Network and the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) Network.

“That,” Bacon said, “was about as high a compliment as we could hope to be paid.”

Mankin was the catalyst for what has blossomed in the Morris Center.

“None of this would’ve happened without Ben,” said Nathan Gibbs (’00), an assistant professor and director of broadcast operations for JMC whose students are among those now part of the production team.

“He grew up on the ACU campus

Students use the new studio space each week for classes and to produce more than 50 sports shows over the course of the year.

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ACUTV communicates with the athletics production team to produce the video board show in Wildcat Stadium.

when his late father, Dr. Jim Mankin, taught Bible in the 1980s and ’90s,” Gibbs said. “It’s been a blessing to see Ben continuing in his father’s footsteps by changing the lives of students through his work.”

JMC named that area the Mankin Control Room and presented him in October 2018 with its highest alumni honor, the Gutenberg Award.

“Since Ben was 20-something,” remembered Bacon, “he had been bugging me every time he saw me, ‘When are we going to upgrade the TV studio?’ He saw a chance to make his dream come true, so he jumped in.”

Many others generously contributed to making this vision a reality, including major donors such as Doug (’83) and Jayne (Montgomery ’83) Orr, the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, Mark (’86) and April (Bullock ’89) Anthony, the Shelton Family Foundation, Raye and Elise (Smith ’83) Mitchell, and Royce (’61) and Pat (Taylor ’61) Caldwell. The Orrs became namesakes of what is now the Doug and Jayne Orr TV Studio.

While funding opportunities remain, the contributions so far have enabled JMC to far exceed its initial goals for the project.

The investments created ripple effects, including the hiring of Harris to assemble and manage the team of students who would make the dream come true on a daily basis. Harris was 36

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Technical director Allayna Ford (left) assists Hutton Harris as he directs cameras and produces a game telecast in conjunction with ESPN and the athletics production team in Wildcat Stadium.

so impressed by plans for the new facility that he literally left the big leagues of sports production to return to ACU. He had worked during school and immediately after graduation for CBS Sports under one of JMC’s most successful alums, Emmy Award-winning producer and ACU trustee Lance Barrow (’77). In 2011, Harris landed a job with his favorite MLB team, the Texas Rangers, generating all the graphics and video content on the giant video board at Globe Life Park.

“I’d always wanted to come back to ACU,” Harris said. “It was one of those callings, like this was something I was supposed to do.

I thought the new studio would be nice, but I had no idea I’d be walking into $2.5 million of new equipment.”

The control room’s dominant feature is a wall of monitors Harris and his crew of students visually scale during a production. It shows them everything each camera sees. The director’s job is to have the camera operators frame the shots properly; the producer then decides which ones to show the audience. Harris directed the game telecast on Sept. 29, 2018, while former media relations video coordinator Seth Wilson was the producer. Everyone else involved was a student, which is no minor achievement given that many of them aren’t JMC majors.

“My goal when I came here was to involve people from more than just JMC,” says Harris, who knows of 10 different majors represented among the 50 students on his team, who are paid for their work. Both of those numbers are significant.

“As I go to conferences and hear from other schools, they are begging students to work for one Saturday,” Harris said. “Meanwhile, I have a pool of 50 and only have 25 positions to fill.

They literally have to take turns.”

Harris added, “I want them to walk out of ACUTV or the JMC department with a confidence that would allow them to walk into CBS, the Rangers or ESPN and say, ‘I know how to light a set,’ or ‘I know how to be a TD [technical director].’ To be able to put professional equipment in students’ hands and do it for four years?

You won’t be able to find another place like it on campus.”

“Most of these students are trained in nearly every aspect of TV production,” says ESPN’s Hill.

“That includes directing, graphics, cameras, audio and engineering. After graduation, you have a resume that looks pretty strong.”

The euphoria from that first game production was palpable throughout the department in the days following.

“When we were playing that opening segment, you knew that in two minutes you’re going to be live on the air,” Harris recalled. “Like a

ACUTV staff like AJ Carter (’18) have the opportunity to work with top-of-the-line equipment such as these lenses used in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“It’s a top-of-the-line facility.”

- SKIP HILL, ESPN baby, you know it’s coming.” (Actually, Harris didn’t know his own baby was coming when it did. He was by his wife Allie’s side as she gave birth to their first child on Nov. 17, 2018, at 2 p.m., just as ACU kicked off at Wildcat Stadium against the University of Central Arkansas and his colleagues were delivering their second game to ESPN.) “We had a couple of hiccups,” Harris said of that first telecast. “We lost the capability to show graphics and replays in the second quarter; that’s life. But from a perspective of promoting ACU, I don’t know that there have been many nights bigger than that. Skip (Hill of ESPN) said it was the best first run he’d seen in the 10 years he’s been doing this. I think showing them we could pull it off was the best moment for me.”

“It’s huge,” said Gibbs. “We’re big on professional experiences for our students. We have a lot of co-curricular activities, from KACU-FM radio to Morris+Mitchell [the student-run advertising agency] to The Optimist newspaper. This takes it to a whole other level. The expectations, the name, the branding.

To be live on the signature sports media brand in the world, that’s amazing. They [ESPN] came here, checked the boxes and said, ‘You’re good enough.’ ” And it’s just the beginning.

Gibbs sees a day in the not-so-distant

future in which ACU can offer a degree in sports broadcasting and have its own local channel. And plans are already in place to produce other university events.

“It’s a fantastic deal,” said Bacon, “for the people on campus who in the past have often had to pay someone to come in from Dallas to do video production of a special event. Their costs have been cut significantly.

It creates an ongoing opportunity for us to do production, have an income opportunity for students and provide a variety of experiences outside of sports.”

Mankin makes no secret of his motivation.

“Selfishly, I want more JMC students,” he said. “What professors used to say was, ‘The reason you want to come to ACU is because we’re small enough that you as a freshman can do anything you want. You can touch any gear you want and you can have a great experience. I’m thrilled with the outcome,” Mankin said.

“If we can couple the awesome experience at ACU with the small class sizes, great professors and equipment that really is like a top 20 market, then I think we’re helping fulfill the university’s mission,” he said.

“In higher education, in general, it’s increasingly competitive to get students to come to Abilene, Texas, to attend a Christian university,” Gibbs

said. “This really has opened doors to bring more students to the program. Industry demand is only increasing for people who know how to communicate and tell stories through video.”

For Bacon, a diehard baseball fan, this last project before retiring as JMC department chair was like a walkoff home run.

“I’m really proud that we have been able to do the renovation,” said Bacon, who considers the people she’s hired as her legacy.

“If we had this facility and we didn’t have Hutton and Nathan, hands-on all the time, and we didn’t have the experience of [instructor] Cade White (’88) working in production with those students who are more interested in film and entertainment; and we didn’t have [current JMC department chair] Dr. Kenneth Pybus (’89), who can lead that entire organization, keep us nationally accredited; then it would just be bells and whistles,” she said.

“A lot of universities have nice equipment,” Bacon said. “What matters are people who make that equipment work and who help our students build a career plan by using that equipment and teach them how to function as ethical, Christian professionals in all sorts of workplaces. I’m really proud of the facility, but I’m mostly proud of the people.” 

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EXCEPTIONAL | ACU’s Vision to become the premier university for the education of Christ-centered global leaders means building upon areas of strength and distinctiveness, and delivering a unique, Christ-centered experience that draws students into community.

The Robert R. and Kay Onstead Science Center opened for classes in August 2018 and provides classroom, laboratory and collaboration space for students in science and mathematics.

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Onstead caps $95 million Vision in Action initiative, completes transformation of ACU science facilities

BY SAR AH CARLSON • PHOTOGR APHY BY JEREMY ENLOW

R

oom B10 in the lower level of the new Robert R. and Kay Onstead Science Center has been claimed. Taped next to the door is a handwritten note affixed

with tape that makes it clear: “Nuclear Physics Student Research Offices.”

Two physics and one engineering student – sophomore Keaton Brewster of Malibu, California, and juniors Roy Salinas of Pasadena, Texas, and Kolby Kiesling of San Antonio, Texas, respectively – have made this space

their own since Onstead opened in August 2018. If the note on the door doesn’t make that clear, then the coffee maker, cartons of goldfish crackers and other signs of student life (plus a Christmas tree this past December) in the small room do.

Don’t assume serious work doesn’t take place here, though.

At any given time you will find students sitting in front of laptops or working out problems on one of the room’s whiteboards. It truly functions as a work space for students in the Department of Engineering and Physics.

Each of the three students listed on the door is a teaching assistant

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and member of the ACU Nuclear Physics Research Group. Kiesling also is treasurer of the Engineering Students Association, and Brewster and Salinas are both Society of Physics Students officers. When their peers need tutoring or general help on work, or need a break from studying, they know where to go.

“What we’ve seen from working inside of B10 has been us being mentors who are easily accessible to other students,” Kiesling said.

“Every day for the bulk of the fall semester, students would freely come and go from the room because they knew that one of us would be there and would be able to either answer their questions or point them in the right direction.

“The strong development of community from just leaving a light on in one room in the lower level has surely been a blessing,” he said. “I feel as though I’m far more successful when I am able to help anyone on campus succeed, and this room has been the perfect facilitator for us to help the students who need it most.”

Of course, the Onstead Science Center is more than one room – and the four-story building certainly isn’t what it used to be. But Room B10 does represent one of the main goals for creating the facility: to provide much-needed space for science and mathematics students and faculty to teach, study, explore and serve. It’s space they all can call home.

“You can’t overestimate what it means for students to have their own place to be together, near faculty and the research labs where they work, and in the building where their classes are,” said Dr. Rusty Towell (’90), professor of physics and engineering. “Students can now really be efficient in classes and working as research assistants and doing homework. It’s exciting.”

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The $45 million Onstead Science Center – with, so far, $1.29 million in new equipment – provides plenty of classroom, laboratory and collaboration space for students in science and mathematics. Formerly the Foster Science Building, it’s the third in a trio of science facilities built or renovated as part of the university’s Vision in Action initiative, launched in February 2014, to bring spaces for the sciences at ACU into the 21st century. The Engineering and Physics Laboratories at Bennett Gymnasium, which now houses the Nuclear Energy eXperimental Testing (NEXT) Lab, opened in August 2015, and the Halbert-Walling Research Center was dedicated in February 2017.

The other pillars of Vision in Action were the new Elmer Gray Stadium for soccer, cross country and track and field, which opened April 2015, and Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium, which opened September 2017.

The science complex is a dramatic addition to the campus and its academic program.

Onstead has 16 classrooms, 14 teaching labs and five research labs, and offices for the Departments of Engineering and Physics, Mathematics, and Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

The Departments of Biology, and Chemistry and Biochemistry have classroom and lab space in the building, although their offices are in Halbert-Walling. Onstead also is home to ACU’s Natural History Collection, components of which are on display in the Anthony Lobby and throughout the facility.

With clearly defined space for each department, not only can students find faculty offices, classrooms and labs – at one point during construction, engineering

Anthony Lobby provides space for students, faculty and staff to interact outside of class. It also features components of ACU’s Natural History Collection.

Elizabeth Oxley (left) and Darien Thomas work in a class led by Dr. Jess Dowdy, professor and chair of engineering and physics.

Gary Mabry (’71), instructor of chemistry, demonstrates a science education experiment for Alyssa Schroeder.

Engineering students Trent Cavicchi (left) and Koby Rogers use one of the building’s many white boards to work on problems.

You can’t “overestimate

Dr. David Hendricks (’87), professor and chair of mathematics, discusses coursework with students in the Mathematics Student Lounge.

what it means for students to have their own place to be together, near faculty and the research labs where they work, and in the building where their classes are.”

– DR. RUSTY TOWELL

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Dr. Traci (Merkel ’84) Yandell, instructor of mathematics, works with students in the Mathematics Computer Lab.

more than money – there’s a “ It’s thoughtfulness to it. Donors could do

whatever they want with their money, and this is what they chose to do with it.

It really struck me, that level of generosity.”

– DR. AUTUMN SUTHERLIN

Students listen to Dr. Tom Lee, professor and chair of biology, in one of the department’s classrooms. Seen in the background are items from ACU’s Natural History Collection.

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Thomas McCray works on coursework in Yandell’s class.

and physics faculty were spread across campus in five buildings – but faculty are able to more easily meet and collaborate.

“It helps build collegiality,” said Dr. Autumn Sutherlin, professor and chair of chemistry and biochemistry, and director of academic construction for the facility. “This new space helps faculty connect and better share ideas, and having our young faculty near our experienced faculty allows for mentoring that can happen.”

Interdepartmental collaboration is easier now, too, said Dr. Kendra (Gregory ’10) Jernigan, assistant professor of agricultural and environmental sciences, whose department was previously housed in the Hardin Administration Building and Zona Luce Building when she was a student. Now, she can walk down the hall and talk with Dr. Tim Kennedy, assistant professor of engineering and physics, for example, on various water projects they’re working on together.

Jernigan enjoys their new location and seeing students coming and going from the office, as well as working together in their own study/club room. Its walls are lined with shelves decorated with decades’ worth of trophies and memorabilia from Alpha Epsilon Sigma (formerly the Aggie Club), the Block & Bridle Club and more.

With such a variety of disciplines in one location, one of Sutherlin’s chief roles as director of academic construction was to serve as an interface between the departments and professionals from HOAR Construction. Each lab and classroom space had to be considered for whom, and what, it would house. Certain types of floor tile would allow for too much static that would be damaging

to electronics, for example. Also, you don’t want a window in the door of the room containing lasers.

She’s a natural organizer, but overseeing everything from choosing the correct aforementioned tile, to planning furniture arrangements, to making sure there were enough whiteboards was a new experience for her. She laughs thinking of the construction terms she picked up.

“I’d hear people say, ‘Do you want a light in this door?,’ and I wasn’t sure at first what that meant,” she laughed. “ ‘Light in doors’ means a window. I joked with one of our crew members about it, and he replied, ‘I’m learning lots of new words, too, like pedagogy.’ ” The transformation of the space was gradual to her, considering she dealt with so many details on a day-to-day basis. But seeing it come together at the Aug. 24, 2018, dedication ceremony for the facility – and seeing the transformation through the eyes of visitors – helped her realize just what had been achieved.

She especially was moved by her interactions with lead donor Kay Onstead of Houston, Texas.

“I heard her say, over and over, ‘I’m so blessed,’ ” Sutherlin said.

“She didn’t say this was ‘her’ building.

She said she was blessed and wanted to bless others.”

“I don’t think I had fully processed what it means to give a gift like the one she gave,” Sutherlin said.

“It’s more than money – there’s a thoughtfulness to it. Donors could do whatever they want with their money, and this is what they chose to do with it. It really struck me, that level of generosity.”

The Onstead family has long been a benefactor of the university, with Kay and her late husband, Robert,

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Kay Onstead is pictured with her grandchildren after the dedication of the Onstead Science Center on Aug. 24, 2018.

providing funds to help build the Teague Center, Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Building, Hunter Welcome Center, Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center, and scholarship and faculty endowments in the College of Biblical Studies and the College of Business Administration. Kay also was a lead donor for the Halbert-Walling Research Center, and her $10 million gift in 2012 for the Onstead Science Center ignited Vision in Action.

“It is fitting that the final project for Vision in Action is the completion of the Onstead Science Center,” ACU president Dr. Phil Schubert (’91) said at the dedication.

“We can think of no better way to celebrate putting our vision of building ACU’s future into action than opening this facility named for two of the university’s most generous visionaries,” Schubert said.

Just as Kay Onstead spoke of being blessed as she toured the new facility in August, Kiesling shared the sentiment in December as he looked back on the center’s first semester.

“All three of the new science buildings are blessings as educational and research spaces,” Kiesling said.

“The ability to perform any of the research I have done is only possible because of the generous donors who helped fund Vision in Action.”

That’s one of the things Sutherlin loves the most – helping students, including prospective ones, see just what the new facilities represent.

“I’m able to say, ‘Look how much ACU has invested!’” she said. “We have three science and engineering buildings. For a university this size, that is rare. This is a university that cares about science.” 

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three of the new science buildings “ All are blessings as educational and research spaces. The ability to perform any of the Onstead/VIA research I have done is only possible because 7 of the generous donors who helped fund Vision in Action.”

– KOLBY KIESLING

Dr. Tim Kennedy, director of engineering, talks with students in one of Onstead’s classrooms.

2018

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he distance from Sweetwater, Texas, where he grew up as a gospel preacher’s son, to Swaziland is more than 9,500 miles.

B Y DAW N C O L E

Dr. Ira and June Hill Dale and Rita Brown Outlive Your Life Award

GREG KENDALL-BALL

ACU’s Dale and Rita Brown Outlive Your Life Award takes its name from Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference, the 2011 book by minister and best-selling Christian author Max Lucado (’77). The award is designed to recognize all types of servant leadership, including civic and community contributions, meeting spiritual or physical needs, producing changes with generational impact, helping redirect the course of people’s lives, and inspiring others to make an eternal difference. Recipients may be alumni or friends of the university.

But for Dr. Ira Hill (’56) and his wife, June (Brown ’56), the unexpected journey that included stops in service all over the world before bringing them to African Christian College, was fueled by a simple desire.

“We’ve always had an excessive need or drive to do something useful at any level,” said Ira. “Our drive – and our joy, actually – is to find something not being done and that we felt like we were equipped to do, and so we jumped into it.”

The Hills, ACU’s 2018 Dale and Rita Brown Outlive Your Life Award recipients, have put that life philosophy to the test in decades of service spanning the globe.

“We can always count on them to push things forward, to push the boundaries of what’s comfortable, and to push for excellence and creativity,” said Brad Carter (’01), president of African Christian. “They made deliberate choices throughout their life in how to utilize their gifts to benefit the Kingdom of God.” June, who grew up in Oklahoma on an Apache settlement and worked the fields with her cotton-farmer father, said she never could have imagined where the Lord would take them.

“He has fulfilled my dreams so many times over, and so much more fuller than I could have ever daydreamed what I might do,” June said.

“It’s led us on a merry chase sometimes,” Ira said.

The merry chase of the Hills’ servant partnership, that has now spanned 63 years, began at Abilene Christian University when the couple met. June, who had spent her freshman year at Oklahoma Christian University, first heard of Ira when her ACU TODAY

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GREG KENDALL-BALL

African Christian offers a Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) degree. Students can major in counseling, Bible and ministry, and organizational leadership.

roommate told a woeful tale of his guitar being stolen after a show with his band.

June listened to the story with concern, then had just one question: “That’s very sad, but who is Ira Hill?”

June laughs at the memory.

“She said, ‘He’s really neat – he’s not somebody to be serious about – but he’s fun.’ ” Ira and June would meet later, on the back of a truck loading set pieces for a theatre production in which they were both involved.

“We were finishing a load and I was on a big flatbed truck,” Ira said. “Then I noticed there’s this good-looking blonde trying to get on the back of the trailer and couldn’t quite make it, so I just reached out and grabbed her hand and pulled her up.”

The relationship flourished, and the two were soon planning a life together.

“After we were engaged we made a promise to the Lord and to each other that when we finished school we would leave the Bible Belt,” Hill said. “Then when I finished my Ph.D. and we were ready to go into the workforce, we would only go where the churches were weak.”

The Hills married in October 1955, their senior year at ACU, then headed to Purdue for Ira to attend graduate school where the preacher’s son spent weekends preaching at small churches across Indiana.

The couple headed back to Texas for Ira to pursue his doctorate in biochemistry at The University of Texas at Austin, then it was back to the East Coast to fulfill their engagement promise.

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Oil Laboratories in Wilmington, Delaware, then would go on to major roles with Monsanto, and International Flavors and Fragrances.

But the couple’s first priority was to make an impact in local churches.

They laid down roots in New Jersey, and June discovered a passion for teaching young children.

She recalls when a church plant team from Midland, Texas, visited through a group called New Jersey Exodus to conduct a four-day workshop for teachers.

“I remember staying up all night copying ideas,” June said. “It was the greatest thing I’d seen after Ira’s mother, Suzy (Ruckman ’31), introduced me to teaching little children.”

June and her friend, Lahoma (Childs ’59) Cox, who was living in Oklahoma, began shipping boxes of teaching visuals and ideas back and forth to each other. In 1975, they were invited for the first time to present at ACU’s Bible Teachers Workshop, classes they would present multiple times to increasingly bigger audiences.

The Hills also were beginning to dip their toes into overseas missions.

They went to Kenya for the first time in 1972 to see Ira’s sister and brother-in-law, Hilton (’63) and Avanel (Hill ’63) Merritt.

They stayed a month, and that became their pattern for the next few decades. “We kept doing that at least every other year,” Ira said. They never went with a group, preferring instead to roll up their own sleeves and get to work. June would lead Bible teachers’ training in places such as Russia, Malaysia, Thailand and Nicaragua, among others.

And at home in New Jersey, her Bible class at Monmouth Church of Christ that had started with seven children of all ages in 1974, grew by 1988 to the point that the 5-year-olds class alone had to be divided into three groups.

One of those students was a man named Mark Ciliento, a new Christian. Each Sunday morning, he would stop and look in on June’s class to ask what the children were learning. One morning, he had an unusual request.

“He said, ‘I really need to know all these stories you’re teaching the children,’ ” June said. “ ‘Could I be in your class?’ ” Ciliento, who had met the Hills at a Dr. John Guest evangelistic crusade at a stadium in New Jersey, said, “I went in to help, but I ended up being the oldest student.”

The stories and June’s energetic teaching shaped his growing faith.

“I was amazed at how she taught and brought Bible stories to life,” Ciliento said. “With her visuals and 3D props and puppets – it was like Disneyland for Bible stories.”

Now an elder at Monmouth Church of Christ, Ciliento said the Hills were dedicated and devoted to growing their local congregation.

Despite his demanding career, “Ira made himself available whenever you needed him,” Cilento said. “They are both dedicated and devoted.”

In 1984, Ira left his “last real job” at International Flavors and Fragrances. The family wasn’t ready to leave New Jersey, so he “decided to be an entrepreneur – I couldn’t spell it but I was going to be one.”

He and Dale Brown, who along with his wife, Rita, were the first

“Every time we stepped into something new in faith, it was bigger than we thought it was going to be.”

– JUNE HILL

recipients of ACU’s Outlive Your Life Award, started developing oral health care products in Hill’s basement laboratory – beginning with a mouth care spray, and then developing the product that would become Johnson & Johnson’s Gentle Gum Care Dental Floss.

“Our little old company has shipped nine billion yards of that to date,” Hill said.

In all, Hill holds 53 patents for his inventions, and his entrepreneurship became a conduit for the couple to increase their availability for longer mission assignments.

In 1997, the business was running well enough that the Hills knew they could be gone for extended periods of time, and the couple mailed brochures titled “Servants Seeking” to 30 preachers in mission-oriented churches and to the faculties of Christian university mission departments.

“We said, ‘We don’t want to do things you can do already, we want to bring something new to your ministry and we’re willing to try anything,’ ” Ira said. “And we both have to have a job. It was not going to be a missionary and accompanying spouse situation – that was not going to work because June actually had more to offer than I did.”

One of the recipients was the late Wendell Broom (’45), an ACU missions patriarch. He quickly connected the Hills with Ernie High and Henry Huffard, who said the Hills were needed at Nigerian Christian College.

“He had about six jobs for both of us,” Ira said with a laugh.

Africa became a passion for the couple, and in 2004, they came to African Christian College in Swaziland, planning to teach for a semester. But they found a deeper calling with the school, and soon they were each teaching a semester a year, then returning to travel across the

states to raise money for the school.

“Between 2004 and 2015 was the best, happiest most productive decade of our lives,” Ira said.

The Hills worked hand-in-hand with missionaries Larry and Susan Carter in that decade, as African Christian became a degree-granting college, and transitioned to a trustee system. Larry is president emeritus of African Christian.

Ira, who served on the ACU board for 23 years, put his own trustee experience to work in Swaziland where he served as board chair, as well as teaching numerous classes.

When the King of Swaziland decreed in 2005 that unless children went to preschool, they could not enter first grade, June realized her calling.

None of the rural villages in Swaziland had preschools, and “that meant 90 percent of the children aren’t going to have an education, and that is totally the opposite of what we are trying to do,” June said.

So she began teaching a course to train students to become preschool teachers.

The students had no materials, but June refused to let that be an obstacle. “I said, ‘OK, let me see what they need to know and I’ll try to figure out what we can do with what we have,’ ” June said.

So she trained teachers to pick different types of leaves and use them for sorting games. They cut corn cobs in different lengths to teach the concept of shortest to longest, bought the dried beans that came in 20-plus colors and taught children to sort them. For pencils, they plucked weeds that grew near the college and wrote in the air or sand.

Hundreds of women and a few men trained and earned certificates that let them open preschools in villages across the country.

She developed a curriculum and distributed it, copyright free.

The impact of it continues to ripple throughout Swaziland and the entire continent.

Brad Carter described visiting former African Christian student Charles Wanyama, who had attended June’s workshop in 2010.

“At the congregation where he ministers, I watched children in a one-room church building practicing phonics, others outside learning numbers, and older ones practicing their writing as the preschool had grown into a primary school,” Carter said. “Charles took what he learned from June and put it into practice in his community. But it didn’t stop there. He also taught others what he learned and was overseeing a network of church-based preschools in communities throughout his region in Uganda.”

The Hills taught their last class at African Christian in 2015. Now active members at Westover Hills Church of Christ, they are still serving – working with refugee families transitioning into Austin, and even going on their first group mission trip with a team from that congregation.

When they think about the idea of “outliving their lives,” Ira says he hopes they will be remembered for strengthening churches in the Northeast, for setting a standard for high-quality Christian education in Africa, and that June will be remembered as “being a real pioneer in teaching teachers how to teach children the Bible.

That will be generational.”

“Every time we stepped into something new in faith, it was bigger than we thought it was going to be,” June said, a sentiment Ira echoed.

“We’ve always done our work for the Lord by taking an opportunity and doing what our strengths were, and he’s always blessed it,” Ira said. 

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17 JMC Gutenberg Celebration

ACU Sports Hall of Fame Celebration Hunter Welcome Center, 6 p.m.

Musical: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

Hunter Welcome Center, 6:30 p.m.

Wildcat volleyball: ACU vs. Southeastern Louisiana Moody Coliseum, 7 p.m.

Abilene Convention Center, 1100 N. 6th St., 8 p.m.

Homecoming Candlelight Devo

Beauchamp Amphitheatre, 8:15-8:45 p.m.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18 Chapel

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19 Social club breakfasts

Moody Coliseum, 11 a.m.

Various locations and times; see extended schedule at acu.edu/homecoming

Campus activities TBA

Parade

Make and Take

ACU Maker Lab, Brown Library, 2-4 p.m.

Beginning at East North 16th Street, 10 a.m.

Carnival

Tailgating load-in begins

Campus Mall and Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center, 5-8 p.m.

Designated areas, 11 a.m.

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Homecoming Chapel

Moody Coliseum, 11:15 a.m.

Gameday: Tailgating begins (Campus Mall) and Wildcat Ticket Center opens (Main Entrance, Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium) Noon

Reunion class lunches

Various locations, catered by The Shed Market, noon

Departmental/organizational events

Various locations and times; see extended schedule at acu.edu/homecoming

Reunions Reunion class lunches are on Saturday in the Campus Mall after Homecoming Chapel. If your preferred class year is 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009 or 2014, come enjoy a barbecue lunch catered by The Shed Market and hang out with your peers before the football game against Stephen F. Austin at Wildcat Stadium.

Learn more and register for your class reunion today at acu.edu/homecoming.

Wildcat Walk (Football team walks to stadium) Campus Mall, 12:30 p.m.

Suite and club entrances open

Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium, 1 p.m.

All gates open

Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium, 1:30 p.m.

Wildcat football: ACU vs. Stephen F. Austin Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium, 3 p.m.

Load-out tailgate

Campus Mall, 6:30-7:30 p.m. (or one hour after game)

Musical: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

Abilene Convention Center, 1100 N. 6th St., 8 p.m.

Homecoming Dessert Celebration for Reunion Classes Brown Family Club Level, Wildcat Stadium, 8:30-10:30 p.m.

Fireworks

Wildcat Stadium, 9:15 p.m.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20 Brunch in the Bean

World Famous Bean, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. • $6.50 for all you can eat

Women for ACU 50th Anniversary Luncheon Hunter Welcome Center, 12:15 p.m.

Musical: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

Abilene Convention Center, 1100 N. 6th St., 2 p.m.

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#ACU

We love our followers on social media. Here are just a few of the posts by and about Wildcats.

Ashley Stirman April 7

#ACUDifference Just walked past someone sharing his testimony with a friend in the library and no one blinked an eye. I love this school.

Angelee Whitlow Brumley May 29

addyleigh_

Abilene Christian University Why study on dead day when you can do goat yoga?? #acudifference MAY 7

Kenyon Williams March 7

Big Purple represented in Havana, Cuba (still my favorite study/travel hat, YBP circa 1994).

Senior signing day! Brantley is headed to Abilene Christian University, and what’s even more fun is when one of your best friends goes with you!

Anna Elizabeth Kirklin

Shay Johnson

May 27

September 4

Forever doing each club’s signature Sing Song move during the dancing portion of every wedding I attend #ACUdifference #gowildcats #exceptional #innovative #real

Emailed my prof to let her know I was missing class this week because I was traveling for soccer and she emailed back asking if I would prefer cookies or brownies for her to bake for me for the road trip …

T’sunami Mamí October 28 go wild{bats}

#acu

Yahoo Sports March 18

Filling out the bracket like “WHO IS ABILENE CHRISTIAN!?”

Sebastian Karlsson October 10

Here is a greeting from Abilene Christian University, Homecoming weekend. It feels so special to be back in the place where I spent 4 years studying theatre. It was a life changing experience. A truly unique place. So thankful to get to spend time with Joe again, and meeting the ACU community here.

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byrdbrain March 18

You better highway and byway outta here with that.

Jonathan Shaw November 5

Since getting this, @ACU_Soccer is 7-0 including a @SouthlandSports championship and NCAA Tournament berth! Now if the ACU soccer team can reach the Final Four, I’ll be getting another ACU tattoo that they choose! #GoWildcats

Brad Benham September 4

Each fall, love and pride shine through the news of new Wildcats dropped off to begin a school year

So, I was waiting to go into the ACU Medical Clinic to get my Wellness check for insurance and sat down next to an older gentleman wearing an “ACU Landscape & Grounds” polo.

I leaned over and said, “Hi, I’m Brad! What do you do for Landscape and Grounds?” And he responded, “Well, I mostly try to teach and tell people about the love of Jesus, but when I am not doing that – I work on our machines.” #ACUDifference #BestAnswer #ACU

Rick Barrera August 27

Meagan Sanders February 19

Dad unearthed and shared some family treasures today. Among the ancestry records was this artifact – our Uncle Bobby on the cover of ACC Alumni News from 1957 after winning Olympic gold medals in track. #heritage #ACUWildcats @ACUsports @ACUedu

Chris Garcia

Traci O’Quinn Brown

The time finally arrived... dropped off Isaiah at Abilene Christian University #ACU22.

My feelings and emotions are all over the place … from smiles and laughter to big tears!

But what I am positive about is God is good and faithful and that I am proud. So to all the parents sending your kids off, congrats, and I feel your joy and sadness LOL. To those whose kids are still at home, hold on to them … time goes by fast! God bless you all.

October 19

#ACU Homecoming 2018 – Love that we all graduated from the same school! Huge thank you to our parents for making it possible.

Love my family!

April 1

I like to stick my hand out the window and do the WC if I see ACU stickers on cars when I’m on the highway. #GoWildcats

Coach Gladiator April 21

Well she is IN and now it’s time to get books, parking pass, store run and final parents’ goodbye. #acu #alumni #wildcat #firstonetogotocollege #dadslove

Stan Lambert February 22

Rachel Goodman

Abilene Christian University Three cheers for the Purple and White! #acu #GoWildcats #scratchem

Honored to present Abilene Christian University’s very own Jeannette Lipford with a flag flown over the capitol to celebrate her 90th birthday!

Ann Alvarado August 21

Officially moved in, all is final – I am a College Student! #ACU #GoWildcats

SEPTEMBER 8 ACU TODAY

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TheBOOKCASE A Life That is Good

Unshakable Hope

THE MESSAGE OF PROVERBS IN A WORLD WANTING WISDOM

BUILDING OUR LIVES ON THE PROMISE OF GOD

By Dr. Glenn Pemberton (’85) ISBN 978-0802875679 • 160 pages eerdmans.com A practical guide for today’s world from the ancient book of Proverbs: wisdom on everyday living, speech, relationships, justice, money and much more.

Pemberton is professor emeritus of Bible, missions and ministry at ACU.

It’s Now or Never HOW TO ENJOY YOUR LIFE AND NOT LET YOUR INVESTMENTS OWN YOU!

By Dee Carter (’64) ISBN 978-0997544169 • 256 pages simonandschuster.com Do you have enough to retire? Full of wisdom and solid financial tips, veteran insurance and financial services expert Carter uses stories – including a lifetime of relationships built through ACU – to illustrate and help consumers understand why they need to plan for the future.

The Oxford Handbook of John Henry Newman Edited by Dr. Frederick D. Aquino (’89) and Benjamin J. King ISBN 978-0198718284 • 624 pages global.oup.com Written by a range of international experts, this volume shows how Newman remains important to the fields of education, history, literature, philosophy and theology. Aquino is professor of theology in ACU’s Graduate School of Theology.

Desert Song CLAIMING JOY BY WALKING THE WILDERNESS

By Brittnie (Wright ’05) Blackburn ISBN 978-1512770230 • 164 pages westbowpress.com Through her battle against an eating disorder, a struggle with infertility, discovering and addressing her daughter’s disabilities, and the aching loss of a child, Blackburn has walked the wilderness and come out the other side more certain of God’s love and provision.

By Max Lucado (’77) ISBN 978-0718096144 • 240 pages thomasnelson.com Lucado unpacks 12 of the Bible’s most significant promises, equipping you to overcome difficult circumstances by keeping your focus on the hope found in the promises of Scripture rather than dwelling on the problems in front of you.

Praying the Promises ANCHOR YOUR LIFE TO UNSHAKABLE HOPE

By Max (’77) and Andrea Lucado (’08) ISBN 978-1400315291 • 160 pages thomasnelson.com God keeps his promises. Father and daughter Max and Andrea Lucado share scriptures and stories about God’s faithfulness, offering tangible ways to implement faith into each Christian’s prayer life.

As You Grow A MODERN MEMORY BOOK FOR BABY

By Korie (Darby ’09) Herold ISBN 978-1944515478 • 160 pages bluestarpress.com An elegant keepsake book for parents featuring artwork by Korie Herold (The Weekend Type) in a sophisticated guided journal that helps parents document the first five years of their child’s life.

The Monstrous Discourse in the Donald Trump Campaign IMPLICATIONS FOR NATIONAL DISCOURSE

By Dr. Debbie (Jay ’80) Williams and Kalyn L. Prince ISBN 978-1498546997 • 168 pages rowman.com The authors provide a lens through which to explore the implications of a metaphor applied to Trump during the 2016 presidential election, and consider its implications for the future direction of national discourse. Williams is associate professor of language and literature at ACU.

Mystics and Misfits MEETING GOD THROUGH ST. FRANCIS AND OTHER UNLIKELY SAINTS

Dr. Christiana (Worley ’00) Peterson ISBN 978-0891124290• 256 pages heraldpress.com The author explores the writings of Christian mystics like Francis of Assisi to help find sustenance for her family’s everyday struggles and unique hardships in a Christian farming community in the rural Midwest.

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Selections of books published by Abilene Christian University or those written, edited, compiled or contributed by ACU alumni, faculty, staff and students.

Grace and Peace

God Over Good

ESSAYS IN MEMORY OF DAVID WORLEY

SAVING YOUR FAITH BY LOSING YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF GOD

Edited by Dr. Tom Olbricht and Stan Reid (’76) ISBN 978-0764356544 • 230 pages wipfandstock.com Family, friends and colleagues have contributed to a memoir dedicated to the late Dr. David Worley (’71), who was educated at ACU and Yale, and made major contributions to media, church life and music, and worldwide mission efforts. Olbricht is a scholar who taught theology at ACU and Reid is president of Austin Graduate School of Theology.

Anxious for Nothing FINDING CALM IN A CHAOTIC WORLD

By Max Lucado (’77) ISBN 978-0718096120 • 240 pages thomasnelson.com Lucado invites readers into a study of Philippians 4:6-7 and its advice for facing the calamities of life. The best-selling Christian author is the longtime preaching minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas.

Slavery’s Long Shadow RACE AND RECONCILIATION IN AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY

Edited by Dr. Jeff Childers (’89), Dr. Mark Hamilton (’90 M.Div.) and Dr. James L. Gorman (’08 M.Div.) ISBN 978-0802876232 • 256 pages Eerdmans.com Fourteen scholars – including several from ACU – examine how the sobering historical realities of race relations and Christianity have created unity and division within American churches from the 1790s into the 21st century. Childers is professor of church history and Carmichael-Walling Chair for New Testament and Early Christianity, and Hamilton is professor of Old Testament, both at ACU.

Out of Darkness INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT

By Louise Lanford Looney (’52) ISBN 978-1537793238 • 174 pages amazon.com A non-fiction book of encouraging and heartwarming stories of those who have risen from the pit of despondency while struggling periodically with discouragement and anxiety.

Whispering Trees

By David J. Carroll (’88) ISBN 978-1541277113 • 248 pages amazon.com Follow East Texan George Miller, in a story based on true events, as he encounters the perils of World War II during the Battle of Hürtgen Forest.

By Luke Norsworthy (’02) ISBN 978-0801093326 • 224 pages bakerpublishinggroup.com In a world that is messy and a church that is imperfect, it’s easy to let our faith be lost. But that doesn’t mean we have to lose God. It means we must consider that perhaps our idealized expectations of him are wrong.

The Mending of Lillian Cathleen THE WOMEN OF ROCK CREEK – BOOK 2

By Linda Brooks Davis (’72) ISBN 978-1949856002 • 370 pages lindabrooksdavis.com Davis weaves her historical fiction account of an Oklahoma heroine battling the dangers of being a woman in 1914 America while fighting for more equal treatment.

Inquiries Into Literacy Learning and Cultural Competencies in a World of Borders Edited by Dr. Philip S. Roberson (’80 M.R.E.) and Dr. Tonya Huber ISBN 978-1641132060 • 284 pages infoagepub.com Educators and other scholars explore meaningful and practical approaches to engage with learners from their earliest encounter with language(s), through adolescence and adulthood, and across ever-changing local and global communities.

A Theological Introduction to the Old Testament Dr. Mark Hamilton (’90 M.Div.) ISBN 978-0190203115 • 432 pages global.oup.com This volume explores how each book of the Old Testament – as well as the collection as a whole – structures its stories, wise sayings, poems and prophecies in their proper historical settings to address the biggest issues of life and faith.

Ethereal

By Al Price (’63) ISBN 978-1944583095 • 342 pages laurelrosepublishing.com A historical novel, set primarily in 1983 in rural Mississippi, about two teens – white Aeamon Lee Mistral and his black friend, Jo-Nathan Markum – and their impactful life decisions.

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Selections of books published by Abilene Christian University or those written, edited, compiled or contributed by ACU alumni, faculty, staff and students.

Mosaic A MINISTRY HANDBOOK FOR A GLOBALIZING WORLD

By Jared Looney (’96) and Seth Bouchelle (’13) ISBN 978-0997371758 • 282 pages amazon.com The authors draw on life experiences to provide practical wisdom for navigating the issues of cross-cultural ministry and evangelism.

Treasured Places CELEBRATING THE RICHNESS OF AMERICA’S CITIES AND TOWNS

By Dr. Gary D. McCaleb (’64) and Don Borut ISBN 978-0692121689 • 232 pages amazon.com Treasured Places is a love letter to America’s towns and small cities, represented in its pages by a few dozen places that are special for their history, architecture, scenic beauty and – importantly – a strong sense of social cohesion and civic pride.

McCaleb is vice president of ACU and Borut is former executive director of the National League of Cities.

Stranger God MEETING JESUS IN DISGUISE

Dr. Richard Beck (’89) ISBN 978-1506433752 • 256 pages fortresspress.com With his signature combination of biblical reflection, theological reasoning and psychological insight, Beck shows how God always meets us in the marginalized, the oppressed and the refugee. Beck is professor of psychology at ACU.

Christian Ethics IF THE LIFE OF JESUS IS NOT OUR PATTERN, THE DEATH OF JESUS WILL NOT BE OUR PARDON

By Dr. John Hobbs (’72) ISBN 978-1726891233 • 158 pages amazon.com The life of a Christian is to live as Jesus lived.

Hobbs is preacher for the Sachse (Texas) Church of Christ.

A Tangled Web

By Dr. Preston Harper (’59) ISBN 978-1984567857 • 252 pages amazon.com Assisted by three Texas women, Marton Wynn, a devout Christian, attempts to apprehend a killer, free three hostages from a racist group, and find true love.

Harper, professor emeritus of English, taught at ACU from 1965-2007.

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The Christmas Heirloom FOUR HOLIDAY NOVELLAS OF LOVE THROUGH THE GENERATIONS

By Karen (Gaskin ’93) Witemeyer, Kristi Ann Hunter, Sarah Loudin Thomas and Becky Wade ISBN 978-0764230783 • 384 pages bethanyhouse.com

Wind Ensemble spring tour includes showcase performance at TMEA convention in San Antonio In Witemeyer’s “Gift of the Heart,” a widow and her young daughter move to Hope Springs for a fresh start, but with no money to secure a home, Ruth must convince a wealthy resort owner to accept her heirloom brooch as collateral. Will the pin that brought love to three generations soften the heart of a wounded recluse and give Ruth a second chance at love?

The Handbook of Communication Training A FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSING AND DEVELOPING COMPETENCE

Edited by Dr. J.D. Wallace (’89 M.A.) and Dr. Dennis Becker ISBN 978-113873652 • 444 pages routledge.com Specifically targeted at those pursuing best practices regarding communication consulting, coaching, teaching and training, this volume also is a guide and standard for consumers of these services.

Wallace is a professor of communication at ACU.

The Living Pulpit SERMONS THAT ILLUSTRATE PREACHING IN THE STONE-CAMPBELL MOVEMENT 1960-2018

Edited by M.A. Mulligan Contributing editor Dr. Tim Sensing ISBN 978-0827221888 • 288 pages chalicepress.com The fourth volume in a series that began in 1868, this collection features sermons from representative preachers in the Stone-Campbell Movement over the past 50 years. Sensing is professor of ministry and associate dean of ACU’s Graduate School of Theology.

The Songs of Africa THE ETHIOPIAN CANTICLES

Edited by Dr. Curt Niccum (’92 M.Div.) and T.C. Oden ISBN 978-1624280603 • 230 pages iccspress.com The authors present evidence that the oldest-written form of African music with embedded musical notation in the sub-Saharan region was Ethiopian chant, song, dance and instrumentation. Despite their crucial importance in centuries of culture-formation, the Ethiopian Canticles have never before been the specific subject of rigorous critical textual investigation. Niccum is professor of Bible, missions and ministry at ACU.

New & Upcoming Books by ACU Press Wildcat Football

Three Cheers for the Purple and White Lance FLeming ISBN 9780891124313 | 256 pages | $25

The history of football at Abilene Christian University is about more than wins and losses.

It’s about shaping young men into great husbands, loving fathers, and community pillars. In their days as Wildcats, the players in ACU’s football history left their mark on the program and the university. Wildcat Football is about games played, championships won, coaches who taught more than football, friendships forged, and men and women who provided the program with the resources to attain greatness.

House Rules

Insights for Innovative Leaders

Larry m. James

ISBN 9780891124221 | 256 pages | $15.99

Poured Out

Comfort When the Shadow Falls

The Spirit of God Empowering the Mission of God

Encouraging the Dying and Those Affected by Grief

eddie sharP and cheryL mann Bacon

Leonard aLLen

ISBN 9781684262304 | 144 pages | $19.99

ISBN 9781684261307 | 208 pages | $16.99

After centuries of neglect, there is a renewed interest in the Holy Spirit. Many are beginning to realize that the Spirit is not a junior member of the Trinity, tame and shy. Poured Out explains why the church limited the Spirit for so long and how you can come to know the Spirit better and more fully.

Free Us from Bullying

Real Solutions beyond Being Nice

PauL T. coughLin

ISBN 9781684260201 | 256 pages | $14.99

877-816-4455 toll free

acupressbooks.com | leafwoodpublishers.com ACU TODAY

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HilltopVIEW

For the latest visit acu.edu/news facebook.com/abilenechristian twitter.com/acuedu

BY ROBIN SAYLOR

instagram.com/acuedu

When the first tornado to ever hit Abilene cut a swath through the city May 18, nearly 50 ACU faculty, staff and students were among those who mobilized for the recovery efforts.

A total of 328 structures, including about a dozen businesses,

were damaged in the storm, said mayor Anthony Williams, who is advancement and executive community relations officer for ACU’s Office of Advancement. The EF-2 tornado damaged houses, took down trees and left some residents without electricity for several days.

On May 19, Wendy (Kay ’94) Jones, chief human resources officer, emailed faculty and staff to help with the cleanup under ACU’s new “sickto-service” benefit allowing them to use extra sick days for missions and service-related activities.

Several members of ACU’s Facilities and Landscape team volunteered, including Justin Smith.

“As servants of Jesus we are called to go out and serve and help those in need,” he said. “It was sad to see the destruction and the people affected by the storm, but witnessing a community coming together to help their neighbors was great.”

Brad Benham, J.D., (’05), president of The ACU Foundation, accompanied student volunteers from the Lynay (Love Your Neighbors as Yourself) program. “When we were emailed about the chance to help those hurting in the Abilene community,” he said, “I saw the opportunity to try to live out what we encourage our students to do each day.”

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institutions “making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities.”

ACU ranked No. 10 in “Best Value Schools,” which takes into account a school’s academic quality weighed against net cost of attendance; No. 13 in “Best Colleges for Veterans”; and No. 14 in “Undergraduate Teaching” among regional universities in the West.

In addition, Forbes featured ACU in its 2018 list of “America’s Top Colleges”; The Princeton Review named Abilene Christian one of the “Best in the West” for 2019; and the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education recognized the university for a range of key issues including students’ engagement with their studies, their interaction with their teachers and their satisfaction with their experience.

Enrollment tops 5,200 as education experts continue to rank university highly ACU began its 113th academic year with more than 5,200 students, one of its largest fall semester enrollments in nearly 40 years.

Enrollment figures showed more than 1,000 new students, including 938 freshmen and 100 transfers; 1,200 students in online degree programs, including 430 in education (Ed.D.) and 61 in nursing (D.N.P.) doctoral programs. One of every 10 undergraduate students in Fall 2018 was studying nursing.

“These new students bring extraordinary academic ability,” said president Dr. Phil Schubert (’91).

“The core GPA of our freshmen in high school was 3.47, the highest in the university’s history and an increase over the previous record of 3.44 last year.”

The university also was recognized by several education experts as a top university in the nation. U.S. News & World Report named ACU No. 4 in “Most Innovative Schools” in the West, a category added four years ago.

The ranking is the result of college presidents, provosts and admissions deans being asked to nominate

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Faculty, staff devote help to city’s tornado cleanup

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BY T HE NUMBE RS

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Number of pages in the 1,094-pound Waynai Bible, which returned to ACU in December 2018 after a five-year stay at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., for refurbishment and display. Donated to ACU in 1956 and on exhibit in Brown Library for 57 years, it measures 43.5 inches tall and 98 inches wide when open. Closed, the spine is 34 inches thick.

Number of birds in the Jack Minter Collection, donated to ACU’s Natural History Collection in the Robert R. and Kay Onstead Science Center. A 1981 graduate of Abilene Christian, Minter is co-founder and CEO of Dallas-based MYRETA (My Real Estate Transaction Alliance), and is a collector of taxidermy mounts of the huntable birds of North America.

(FROM LEFT) Johanna Baker, Bonnie Tesseyman and Sarah Kincaid

ACU sells land to Abilene ISD for construction of new elementary school Disney internship provides unique educational experience

S

ix ACU students and recent graduates spent Fall 2018 interning at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, through the Disney College Program.

The internship is a popular one among students, said Jill Fortson (’15 M.S.), director of the ACU Career Center, but six interning at one time might be a new record for the university.

Sara Kincaid, junior Bible and ministry major from Friendswood, Texas, grew up visiting Disney World with her family and remembers getting tips from interns at the park about applying and working for the company.

“Applying for the Disney College Program has been a dream of mine since I was in middle school,” said Johanna Baker, senior psychology major from Forney, Texas, and one of the six Wildcats who spent the fall at Disney. The other interns included Annie Bailey (’17), of Abilene, Texas; Bonnie Tesseyman, senior communication disorders major from Tyler, Texas; Kayla Gilbert (’17), of Fort Worth, Texas; and Nicki Schauer, senior psychology major from Gonzales, Texas.

Disney College Program participants work paid positions throughout Disney World and its various parks and resorts, living in housing complexes near Disneyland Resort or the Walt Disney World Resort, and having the

40

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Number of devotionals in 40 Days of Prayer, a collaboration of writings by staff, faculty and trustees. Designed to create a prayerful lead-up to the start of a new school year, the collection was authored by individuals invited by president Dr. Phil Schubert (’91), then sent daily to various audiences. Download a copy at acu.edu/president.

Number of shutouts in 2018 by the women’s soccer team, led by its standout goalie, Rachel Johnson (right), setting a school record. One was a scoreless tie Oct. 5, 2018, with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The team won its first Southland Conference title and played Baylor in the opening round of its first NCAA Tournament, falling 2-0. The Wildcats were 15-6-1 overall.

opportunity to participate in several Disney Education courses.

Baker is still deciding which career path to take and says her time at Disney – she worked at the Emporium shop at Magic Kingdom – gave her a crash-course in customer service and working with people from different backgrounds.

“I love being able to meet people from all over the world and hear their stories,” she said. “Creating a magical moment for a family is definitely one of the best feelings in the world.”

That’s one of the things Kincaid enjoyed most about her internship.

(She was positioned at the Christmas store at Disney Springs.) She experienced what it’s like to work with a variety of people in a secular setting, which she says will help her in future ministry work. She also was selected to participate in one of the program’s leadership seminars.

“I got to practice loving on those who need it, as well as practice patience and kindness,” she said. “It’s important to make the best of whatever mission field God has placed you in, typical or not.

“Ask God what he wants you to learn in any situation, and you will be amazed by what he has in store,” Kincaid said. 

Johnson led the Southland with a 0.53 goals against average and a .907 save percentage, and was voted second team academic all-conference.

JEREMY ENLOW

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JOHANNA BAKER

The Abilene Independent School District has purchased 15 acres of land from ACU to build a new facility to replace 63-year-old Taylor Elementary School. The land is on the university’s Zoe property off East North 10th Street between Judge Ely Boulevard and Loop 322.

Taylor County voters approved a $138.7 million construction bond request for AISD in the Nov. 6, 2018, election that includes the cost of the new facility, which will replace the current Taylor Elementary School next to ACU’s campus on Judge Ely. Taylor is the oldest AISD elementary campus still in use.

ACU and AISD recently renegotiated an existing lease on a portion of the existing Taylor property, which includes the Gardner Hall parking lot and Larry Sanders Intramural Fields, said Kelly Young (’85), vice president of Abilene Christian Investment Management Company.

ACU also is in the process of determining the feasibility of a residential development on the Zoe property, Young said.

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Alisha Taylor (’17) and Vincson Green (’12) performed The Mountaintop on Sept. 17, 2018, at Summit.

The 2010 winner of Britain’s Olivier Award for Best New Play, The Mountaintop is set in Memphis’ Lorraine Motel the night Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.

CAMPUS VOICES Singer-dancer Eean Cochran (’15) performed ACU Theatre’s annual “Lights Up!” show Sept. 21, 2018, at the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature Cochran in downtown Abilene.

Cochran’s one-man cabaret-style show raised funds for the Department of Theatre. Cochran performs in the national tour of Hamilton.

PAUL WHITE

Pulitzer Prize nominee Joe Holley (’68), author and columnist for the Houston Chronicle, was the speaker at a Sept. 27, 2018, luncheon sponsored by ACU’s Center for Building Community. Others in the series included Andrew Roberts, British historian and author of Churchill: Walking With Destiny, Feb. 12, 2019; and four-time Grammy award-winning music producer and songwriter Chris Christian (’73), April 30, 2019.

CEO/president of WP Hospitality Group, and one of the founders of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Schulze’s work has reshaped concepts of customer service throughout the hospitality and service industries.

Rick Atchley (’78) was the presenter at “Lunch and Learn,” a seminar for church leaders Aug. 30, 2018, in ACU’s McCaleb Conference Center, sponsored by the Siburt Institute for Church Ministry. Atchley is longtime minister of The Hills Church in North Richland Hills, Texas, and a former ACU trustee.

Horst Schulze (left) and ACU’s Dr. Rick Lytle at COBA's Distinguished Speaker Series Luncheon.

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Speakers during the annual Startup Week, sponsored Nov. 12-16, 2018, by ACU’s Griggs Center for Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy, included Jerry Browder (’76), founder and president of Signet Health Corporation; Donny Edwards (’90), president of TCG Development; Chad Hutchins (’08), coTrylko founder and CTO of Fanatical Labs; Wade Floyd (’99), of CoachTube; A.C. Lockyer (’91), CEO of Droplet International; Bryan McCaleb (’94), president of Sagora Senior Living; Tammy Trylko (’10), founder of Tammy Trylko Interiors; ACU trustee Bill Minick (’82), chair of PartnerSource; Jordan Swim (’07), CEO of Vestals Catering; and Jeff Giddens (’05), president at NextAfter.

Chapel speakers in Fall 2018 included World’s Backyard founder Jason Boone (’10) and co-director Reed Denton, Oct. 29; and Lt. Gen. John Bradley, retired chief of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, Nov. 11. Spring 2019 presenters included Dr. Shane J. Wood, professor of New Testament studies and

DEPARTMENT OF ART AND DESIGN

SCOTT DELONY

The College of Business Administration’s Fall 2018 Distinguished Speaker Series Luncheon on Oct. 8 featured Horst Schulze, chair emeritus of Capella Hotel Group,

The Department of Art and Design’s Master Workshop Series included alumni who visited campus to speak to students in an all-day workshop during Fall 2018. Among them: Jordan Bell (’12), designer at Hoefler & Co. in New York City; Emily (Teel ’15) Bell, graduate art student at New York University; Katelyn Goodman (’17), creative designer at USAA in San Antonio, Texas; and José Canales (’04), CEO and design director of Canales & Co. in Austin, Texas.

Jordan Bell (’12) discusses font design with an ACU student.

associate academic dean at Ozark Christian College, Feb. 11; Dave Rogers, director of law enforcement operations for the Human Trafficking Institute and former national program manager for human trafficking in the Civil Rights Unit of the FBI, Feb. 25; Reg Cox (’84), former minister of Lakewood (Colorado) Church of Christ, April 18; and Chris Seidman (’92), lead minister of The Branch Church, a multi-site church near Dallas, Texas, April 15.

The Young Alumni Forum and Networking Reception on Nov. 5, 2018, sponsored by ACU’s Student Alumni Association, brought these graduates to campus to visit with students: Amber (Cardot ’05) Davies, autism and speech-language pathology specialist, Region 14 Education Service Center, Abilene; Jesiree (Guerrero ’06) Driskell, digital marketing coordinator, Hendrick Health System, Abilene; Josh Hardcastle (’13), youth minister, Southern Hills Church of Christ, Abilene; Andrew Harmon (’09), chief operating officer, Clavel Corporation,

Abilene; Joey Hopkins (’10), executive director, Midland (Texas) Habitat for Humanity; Josh McQueen (’12), director of sales, Passare Inc., Abilene; and Morgan (Watten ’15) Morgan, executive assistant, Magnolia, Waco, Texas.

(See pages 82-83.)

A Southwest Airlines Coffee Chat on Oct. 3, 2018, featured executives from the airline speaking with ACU students about internship and career opportunities: Chris Monroe (’89), senior vice president for finance; Laurie (Bulsei ’90) Barnett, managing director for communication and outreach; Tony Roach (’01), senior director of marketing; Katie Coldwell (’00), director of communications; and Jeff Campbell, former professor.

Former U.S. congressmen Jason Lewis (left) and Nick Lampson PAUL WHITE

Dr. John Fitzgerald (’72 M.A.) of the University of Notre Dame was the featured speaker Nov. 8, 2018, at the 32nd Annual Carmichael-Walling Lectures. Fitzgerald, professor of New Testament and early Christianity in the Department of Theology, spoke on “Friends and Drunks: Two Glimpses Into the Social History of the Early Christians and Their World.”

Rev. Dr. Jorgen Boytler presented a lecture Feb. 21, 2019, on “Restoring the Ancient Ecclesia: The Moravians’ 500-Year History of Faithfulness,” sponsored by ACU’s Center for Heritage and Renewal in Spirituality (CHARIS).

Boytler is unity board administrator of the Worldwide Moravian Church. Another CHARIS event featured Dr. Alden Bass, assistant professor of Bible at Oklahoma Christian University, in a lecture April 16, 2019, “Reviving the Ancient Church: Intentional Community and the Missional Future of Restorationist Churches.”

Dr. Julie L. Holcomb, associate professor of museum studies and director of the graduate program at Baylor University, presented “Fit for Freedom, Fit for Friendship: African American and Quaker Cooperation in the Antislavery Movement,” a lecture Jan. 17, 2019, sponsored by ACU’s Department of History and the Carl Spain Center on Race Studies and Spiritual Action.

Yale University professor Dr. Philip Gorski discussed his book, American Covenant: A History of Civil Religion from the Puritans to the Present, on Feb. 22, 2019, in a presentation sponsored by ACU’s Adams Center for Teaching and Learning.

ACU’s Center for the Study of Ancient Religious Texts also co-sponsored a lecture featuring Dr. Mark Hamilton (’91 M.A.) discussing his new book, Jesus, King of Strangers: What the Bible Really Says About Immigration. A panel discussion about the book followed and included Elizabeth (Alvarez ’05) Bingham, general counsel and former vice chair of the Dallas County Republican Party; Domitien Nbizi (’07 M.S.), outreach minister for Abilene’s South 11th and Willis Church of Christ; Derran Reese (’00), director of ACU's new Center for Careers and Experiential Learning; and Dr. Myles Werntz, professor of ethics at Hardin-Simmons University. Hamilton is professor of Old Testament in ACU’s Graduate School of Theology.

Veteran Broadway actress Lara (Seibert ’06) Young performed at ACU’s 50th annual President’s Circle Dinner on Feb. 16, 2019, in the Teague Center. (See page 25.)

Sam Gonzalez (’93), lead minister of Oak Hills Church / Alamo Ranch in San Antonio, Texas, delivered “A Charge to the Class of 2019” at May Commencement in Moody Colisem.

Gonzalez is a veteran missionary and evangelist.

SCOTT DELONY

Dr. Darla Coffey, president of the Council on Social Work Education, was the featured speaker Feb. 4, 2019, for the fifth annual William “Bill” Culp Lecture, sponsored by the ACU Student Social Work Council.

Dr. John Fitzgerald of the University of Notre Dame

M.Div.) assistant professor and chair of Bible, missions and ministry; Dr. Amanda Pittman (’09), assistant professor of Bible, missions and ministry; Dr. James Thompson (’64), professor emeritus of New Testament; Dr. Cliff Barbarick, assistant professor of Bible, missions and ministry; Dr. Heather Heflin Hodges (’94), author and artist; and Randy Harris, instructor of Bible, missions and ministry.

Congress to Campus, an event sponsored by the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice, brought former congressmen Jason Lewis (R-MN) and Nick Lampson (D-TX) to ACU to speak with students and faculty on March 3-5, 2019. They presented to classes in the department, as well as those from journalism and mass communication, to students in the Jack Pope Fellows program, and to economics and government students at Abilene High School.

PAUL WHITE

Dr. Thomas Long, author of The Witness of Preaching, was the featured speaker March 21-23, 2019, during “Journey: From Text to Congregation,” a workshop presented by the Siburt Institute for Church Ministry. Long, named by Time magazine as one of the most effective preachers in the English language, is Bandy Professor of Preaching Emeritus at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. Other speakers included Dr. Rodney Ashlock (’91

Sam Gonzalez

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AcademicNEWS

For the latest visit acu.edu/news facebook.com/abilenechristian twitter.com/acuedu

BY ROBIN SAYLOR

Poe received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from ACU in May 2018.

Endowed chair created to honor alumnus and former U.S. Rep. Ted Poe A $1 million chair has been established in the name of retired U.S. Rep. Ted Poe (’70). The Judge Ted Poe Endowed Chair of Political Science and Criminal Justice at ACU will provide salary toward a faculty position in political science or criminal justice, both areas in which Poe served during his long and distinguished career.

The endowment also will facilitate the hosting of a special guest lecturer for several weeks each school year to speak on campus and in classes, and to advise students on career growth.

“Ted Poe has been a champion for justice and freedom his entire life – as a prosecutor, criminal district court judge and as a congressman,” said Dr. Neal Coates (’87), professor and department chair. “We want our students to follow his example, championing the law, protecting women and victims of crime from violence and trafficking, supporting

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instagram.com/acuedu

the military and veterans, opposing tyranny and lauding Texas history.”

Poe has committed more than three decades to public service, and at the end of 2018 retired from Congress after representing Houston since 2004. He earned a B.A. degree in political science from ACU in 1970, and a J.D. from University of Houston in 1973. In May 2018, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from ACU. Poe served in the U.S. Air Force Reserves from 1970-76. He worked eight years with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, becoming chief felony prosecutor with the distinction of never losing a jury trial.

He later became one of the youngest judges ever appointed in Texas.

He was elected six times to the bench and heard more than 20,000 criminal cases. During more than 20 years as judge of Houston’s 221st Criminal District Court, Poe was featured in local and national media for his creative sentencing and was known for his court’s low recidivism rate.

In Congress, Poe was a leading advocate for limited government, free markets, low taxes and individual liberty. He served on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee as chair of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade.

A supporter in Washington for border security, Poe traveled regularly to the southern border to meet with local law enforcement and residents. He also was instrumental in working toward a World War I Memorial and support for the Battleship Texas.

He was ACU’s Outstanding Alumnus of the Year for 2009 and served on the university’s Board of Trustees from 1990-2004. 

$3.2 million gift benefits NEXT Lab, new consortium studies building test reactor The Robison Excelsior Foundation has pledged $3.2 million to ACU’s Nuclear Energy eXperimental Testing (NEXT) Lab, bringing total funding for the lab to more than $4.5 million.

This latest gift, along with previous funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, Development Corporation of Abilene and other private donations, will support research addressing the world’s most critical needs of affordable and clean energy, pure and abundant water, and medical isotopes for diagnosing and treating cancer.

“We are thrilled to be part of such groundbreaking research,” said foundation director Doug Robison.

“The NEXT Project has the potential of moving ACU to a new level of research and technology development.”

ACU, in collaboration with Georgia Institute of Technology, Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin, has launched a consortium that formed after the group participated in a workshop at Abilene Christian.

Their goal is to develop a non-nuclear molten salt test system to support the design of a university-based molten salt research and test reactor.

The test reactor is essential for the development of liquid-fueled molten salt reactors, which are safer than traditional water-cooled nuclear reactors and produce usable byproducts.

“The groundbreaking research that ACU is poised to continue

E X PE RIE N T I A L L E A RNING regarding nuclear energy has incredible potential,” said Texas Sen. Dawn Buckingham. “Partnerships such as these will help keep our state and nation on the cutting edge, and I am proud to support such efforts.”

The NEXT Lab is housed in the Engineering and Physics Laboratories at Bennett Gymnasium, one of three science facilities constructed during ACU’s recent Vision in Action initiative.

“Having an on-site test facility at ACU provides unprecedented access for students and faculty to collaborate on cutting-edge research,” said Dr. Rusty Towell (’90), professor of engineering and physics at ACU and director of the lab.

Engineering and physics students take their classroom learning and hearts for hands-on service to Honduras

M

onica Sarmiento is from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, so when she was presented with the opportunity to return to her home country as part of an ACU class project, she jumped at the chance.

Sarmiento was among 14 engineering and physics majors who traveled to the tiny village of Linares, where they designed and constructed latrines and built a pressurized system to deliver water from a river to a dairy farm. They also shared their love of Jesus with youngsters at a nearby children’s home.

The students were members of a

who don’t have the same opportunities as I do.”

Before the students arrived, only three families in the village used latrines, and two of those had collapsed due to unstable soil conditions. Water for the dairy farm had to be transported by hand, a laborious undertaking.

The students learned more than just how to implement engineering designs.

They discovered they loved being part of the community. They were strangers but weren’t treated that way. They played soccer and practiced their Spanish with the locals. They went on hikes and

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ACU sponsors research and book about career, calling

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DR. TIM KENNEDY

A new book, Christians at Work: Examining the Intersection of Calling & Career, has been published jointly

by ACU and the social research firm Barna Group.

David Kinnaman, best-selling author and Barna Group president, unveiled the research during ACU’s 2018 Summit in September.

Kinnaman is well known for his previous books Good Faith, You Lost Me and unchristian.

The university also announced the creation of a Center for Vocational Formation, directed by Dr. Ben Ries, associate dean for vocational formation at ACU Dallas.

The center, headquartered in Dallas, was created to equip individuals, faith communities and organizations to experience the connection between their work and faith with greater awareness and intentionality, Ries said.

Resources of the center include a one-year fellows program, self-guided curriculum, consulting, online videos and retreats.

Senior engineering major Marshall Beard works on building a latrine in Honduras.

project-based engineering course taught

by Dr. Tim Kennedy, assistant professor of engineering and physics. In past years, Kennedy had his students solve problems based on a fictional missions setting.

That changed in Summer 2017 when he accompanied representatives of ACU’s Halbert Center for Missions and Global Service to Esperanza Viva (Living Hope), a children’s home in Linares. During that trip, Kennedy identified actual problems for his students to solve.

After working on the projects throughout the semester, the students traveled to Honduras in May 2018 to implement their solutions.

“Being able to help out people in my home country was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Sarmiento said. “I felt privileged to go back and try to help those

took part in Sunday worship services.

“The Hondurans were some of the kindest, most genuine people I’ve ever met, and they instantly welcomed us into their lives and treated us like family,” said Garrett Rhoden, senior from Abilene. “The language barrier was difficult at first, but after working, playing, and just spending time with them, the fact that we spoke different languages didn’t really matter.”

Joshua Murphy, sophomore from Abilene, experienced the same sense of community. “It showed me that people really aren’t as different as they are made out to be. We all laugh, we all smile, we all love. Sometimes you forget that when watching the news. It reminded me we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, no matter our obvious cultural differences.”  – ROBIN SAYLOR AND LORETTA FULTON

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ACADEMIC DIGEST ACU is now offering online undergraduate degrees in psychology and information technology administration. These programs are designed for students who have graduated from high school four or more years ago.

The Bachelor of Science in psychology will give students an in-depth understanding of human behavior. In addition to immediate career options, it can serve as a foundation for graduate school. The Bachelor of Science in information technology administration will prepare students to develop software applications and maintain technology infrastructures. Learn more at acu.edu/online ACU’s teacher education program has been awarded a full seven-year accreditation by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP). The Texas Education Agency does not require state educator preparation programs to be nationally accredited, but ACU chose to seek that higher standard, said department chair Dr. Dana (Kennamer ’81) Pemberton. Also, the College of Business Administration and the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication have had their international accreditation extended by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC), respectively.

Friends of ACU Library (FACUL) honored Karen (Nelson ’65) Hendrick with its Friend of the Year award at a Sept. 17, 2018, luncheon during Summit. Hendrick recently retired from Brown Library after 32 years.

ACU’s chapter of Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization was named Global Chapter of the Year for the fourth year in a row at the CEO Global Conference and Pitch Competition in Kansas City, Missouri. The award is given to a chapter that demonstrates excellence in organizational development and the ways it offers a meaningful entrepreneurship experience for students.

ACU’s chapter outperformed larger universities such as Texas A&M University, Florida State University and Iowa State University.

Dr. Doug Mendenhall (’82), journalist in residence and associate professor of journalism and mass communication, was named the 2018 Ginger Rudeseal Carter Miller Teacher of the Year by the Small Programs Interest Group of the Association for Education in Mass Communication.

Three faculty members and three alumni are co-authors on the first PHENIX paper to be published in the journal Nature Physics: Dr. Donald Isenhower (’81), Dr. Michael Daugherity (’01), Dr. Rusty Towell (’90), Hannah Hamilton (’17), Cecily (Towell ’18) Barker and Daniel Jumper (’09). Nuclear physicists analyzing data from the PHENIX detector at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York – including members of the ACU nuclear physics research group – discovered

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Psychology prof Shewmaker apppointed CEHS dean

D

r. Jennifer (Wade ’92) Shewmaker, professor of psychology, has been named dean of ACU’s College of Education and Human Services.

She previously served as assistant provost for teaching, learning and inquiry and executive director of the Walter H. Adams Center for Teaching and Learning. Shewmaker earned a B.S. degree in psychology from ACU and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in psychology from Texas Woman’s University. She is a nationally certified school psychologist and author of Sexualized Media Messages and Our Children: Teaching Kids to be Smart Critics and Consumers.

A veteran faculty member and administrator, she led accreditation studies for the graduate program in school psychology and chaired the steering committee for ACU’s 2015 self-study of intercollegiate athletics prior to a transition to NCAA Division I. She also led the School Psychology

additional evidence that collisions of miniscule projectiles with gold nuclei create tiny specks of the perfect fluid that filled the early universe.

The PHENIX detector is the largest of the four experiments that have taken data at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven.

The research was featured in Nature Physics’ cover story, “The Geometry of a Quark-Gluon Plasma,” in March 2018.

Dr. Rusty Towell (’90), professor of engineering and physics, hosted the Thorium Energy Conference in Brussels, Belgium. The conference, held Oct. 29-31, 2018, at the Royal Belgium Institute of Natural Sciences, featured presentations from scientists from universities and industry around the world, including ACU’s Dr. Kim Pamplin (’91), professor and chair of chemistry and biochemistry, and Dr. Timothy Head, professor of physics.

Dr. Suzie Macaluso, director of the Pruett Gerontology Center and associate professor of sociology, led a two-week sociology course in July 2019 for alumni and students in Germany. The course commemorated the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and was based at ACU’s villa in Leipzig. It included three nights in Berlin, a visit to Sachsenhausen concentration camp, a day trip to Dresden and a three-day free travel weekend.

Shannon Que, senior social work major from Abilene, was one of three college students from across the nation who were awarded the Shared Justice Student-Faculty Research Prize from the Center for Public Justice, a Christian civic education and public policy research

Shewmaker began teaching at ACU in 2002.

Specialist program from 2002-12.

The College of Education and Human Services comprises the departments of communication sciences and disorders, kinesiology and nutrition, occupational therapy, teacher edcuation, and the School of Social Work. 

organization based in Washington, D.C. Que received the prize for her proposal to research college students’ access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Abilene.

In addition to her social work major, Que minored in Bible, missions and ministry, global studies and public administration.

ACU is ranked among The Princeton Review’s 2019 list of the Top 50 Undergraduate Schools for Game Design, based on a 2018 survey of administrators at 150 institutions offering game design programs.

Dr. Suzanne (Kissinger ’92) Barker was named ACU’s 2019 Morlan Award winner for significant contributions to the field of education. Barker is learning liaison at Grapevine Elementary and Colleyville Middle School in the GrapevineColleyville (Texas) ISD, where she has worked for the past 25 years. She has three degrees from ACU: a B.B.A, a Master of Education in leadership of learning and leadership of digital learning, and a Doctor of Education in organizational leadership.

Three alumni from the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication will receive Gutenberg awards for distinguished professional achievement at the JMC’s annual dinner Oct. 17, 2019, at Homecoming: April Ward Farris (’06), appellate partner, Yetter Coleman LLP, Houston; John Scaggs (’90), president and CEO of WAY Media/WAY-FM in Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Michael Hagerty (’01), senior producer of Houston Matters for Houston Public Media in Houston, Texas. See acu.edu/jmc for tickets.

Fittingly, the Friends of ACU Library brought one of the world’s most famous former librarians to campus to be its Spring Banquet keynote speaker March 28, 2019.

Former First Lady of the United States Laura W. Bush headlined “Voices of Hope,” an event including her special remarks, an interview conducted by ACU alum Max Lucado (’77), and the presentation of the university’s 90th honorary doctorate.

Before the two best-selling authors took the stage, Mrs. Bush gave the sellout crowd updates on her famous family’s comings and goings, and insights into her life’s work, punctuated by poignant storytelling and seasoned with her own down-to-earth humor.

She spoke about the postpresidential transition she and her husband, President George W. Bush, made following his two terms (2001-09) as the 43rd president of the United States. Mrs. Bush also invited guests to visit the George W. Bush Presidential Center, home to the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

Their life after the White House has been joyful but also included the recent passing of her husband’s parents, President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush, two equally well-known former residents of the White House. “I learned everything I know about being a First Lady from her,” she said about her mother-in-law Barbara Bush.

JEREMY ENLOW

Laura Bush receives honorary doctorate at Brown Library event

Mrs. Bush also talked about the joys of spending time with her two granddaughters, “Mila” and Poppy Louise Hager. “The best thing that has happened to us is that we are grandparents,” Mrs. Bush said.

A West Texas native and former librarian and teacher, Mrs. Bush spoke about her passion for education and literacy.

Throughout her time as First Lady and beyond, she has worked to promote literacy in young people. “Reading is not just a cause I selected as Lucado First Lady,” Mrs. Bush told the crowd. “It’s one of the passions of my life.”

She sees developing a love for reading books and magazines as more than entertainment or schoolwork.

“Literacy is an essential foundation of democracy,” Mrs. Bush said.

Mrs. Bush champions many causes and serves on the board of several organizations. She chairs the Bush Institute’s Women’s Initiative, which promotes access to education, health care and economic opportunity for women and girls around the world.

She is a leading voice for spreading freedom and promoting human rights, and for more than a decade, has led efforts through the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council to protect the rights of women in that country.

ACU president Dr. Phil Schubert (’91) explained the decision to award Mrs. Bush an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

“Because you have exemplified the university’s mission of Christian

service and leadership through your life’s work; because of your steadfast devotion to supporting literacy and education; and because of your commitment to advancing the wellbeing of women and families … your dedication to improving the lives of others has inspired countless men and women across the globe to do the same,” Schubert said. “For decades, you have led by example and served others with grace, compassion and conviction. We are grateful you continue to share your story and the stories of those in need so that new generations of public servants will rise up and follow your lead.”

Lucado’s wide-ranging interview with Mrs. Bush included reflections on her time in the White House and updates on her current initiatives at the Bush Center.

Lucado is a best-selling wordsmith and the longtime minister of preaching for San Antonio’s Oak Hills Church.

His 130 million products include nearly three dozen award-winning books that have sold 100 million copies in more than 54 languages.

A collection of materials from his career as missionary, evangelist and writer resides in the archives of Brown Library. The Max Lucado Collection contains manuscripts, journals, artwork and personal correspondence. Lucado was ACU’s Young Alumnus of the Year in 1991 and its Outstanding Alumnus of the year in 2003, among other honors received from his alma mater.

The FACUL dinner raised money to complete fundraising for the proposed Barry and Diane Packer Forum, a new conference space planned for the east side of Brown Library’s top floor. Former ACU board chair and trustee Dr. Barry Packer (’78) and his wife, Diane (Stephens ’77), are namesakes of the project. (See page 66-67.) 

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Tanyuromys thomasleei, as pictured by acclaimed wildlife illustrator Nancy Halliday.

New species of Andean water rat named for biology professor Dr. Tom Lee Either the bucket list of Dr. Tom Lee is getting shorter, or he needs a bigger bucket. The quiet biologist who works in a glass-enclosed office on the second floor of the Halbert-Walling Research Center has made some loud noises in the field of mammalogy in recent years.

He is professor and chair of biology who oversees an impressive and growing Natural History Collection of more than 2,200 specimens of mammals, from tiny shrews to the skulls of buffalo and giraffe. “We have 12-13 orders of mammals, a lot of bats and rats, parts of whales, but a really good collection of bats because of all my trips to the tropics,” he said.

One specimen not present in his collection resides instead in Quito, Ecuador. At more than 8,000 feet above sea level, Quito is the world’s second highest capital city, founded in the middle of the 16th century.

It’s about 16 miles from the equator and near the cloud forests of the Andes, home to a dizzying array of birds and mammals living in isolated places seemingly untouched for centuries.

Lee spends every other summer in South America with an ACU 64

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biology student or two, living and researching for a month.

He is often joined by his longtime friend, Lee Santiago Burneo, a faculty member and curator of the mammalogy division at Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador in Quito.

“I’m an explorer,” said Lee, who is now better known as the namesake of Lee’s Long-tailed Montane Rat (Tanyuromys thomasleei), a new species captured a decade ago by Lee and announced to the science world in a paper published in April 2018.

“My bucket list has always included finding new species,” said Lee, who has been part of two other such discoveries in recent years: an Andean water rat (Neusticomys vossi) and a new shrew opossum (Caenolestes sangay).

“But I never thought this would happen, to have a species named after me. It’s a great honor that comes along pretty rarely,” he said.

Because it’s a type specimen of a new species, the terrestrial rat will never travel outside a museum in its home country.

“In the world of mammology, if you lose a type specimen, you lose everything,” said Lee, who traveled to the Natural History Museum in London to measure and take photos

of a similar type specimen.

Lee caught the rat in a cloud forest. It was found in a trap, lured by a bait consisting of bananas, peanut butter, vanilla extract and oats.

“It smells wonderful,” he said.

“To open a trap in the forest and discover something never before seen is pretty rare,” said Lee, whose documentation protocol included photos, skinning the specimen, preserving the skeleton in alcohol, and taking tissue samples for DNA analysis by colleagues.

A subsequent paper about the discovery for the Journal of Mammalogy was authored by Dr. Robert M. Timm and Dr. Ronald Pine of the University of Kansas, and one of Lee’s former students, Dr. John D. Hanson (’98) of RTL Genomics.

When Lee read a draft, he replied, “Hey, I’d like to be on the author line of this paper.”

Pine declined but explained: “You’re not on it because we’re naming it after you!”

This summer, Lee traveled to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., to help Hanson, Burneo and other colleagues present “The Mammals of the Ecuadorian Andes,” a symposium during the annual meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists.

Lee hopes to one day author a field guide to Ecuadorian mammals. 

– RON HADFIELD

Carl Spain Center launched For Dr. Jerry Taylor, the new Carl Spain Center on Race Studies and Spiritual Action is a dream come true.

Taylor, ACU associate professor of Bible, missions and ministry, had listed establishing the center as one of his faculty goals several years ago, and he is “thrilled it is finally coming to fruition.”

The center is named for the late Dr. Carl Spain, a longtime Bible professor who called out ACU and other Christian universities in 1960 for admissions policies barring African-American students. ACU’s policy was changed in 1961.

Spain’s powerful lecture was titled “Modern Taylor Challenges to Christian Morals” and is as relevant today as it was nearly 60 years ago, Taylor said.

The new center was dedicated Sept. 18, 2018, during ACU’s 112th Summit. A luncheon marking the

opening featured special guests, including Spain’s daughter, Claudette (Spain ’67) Rogers, and her son, Gavin Rogers; former ACU trustee Dr. Billy Curl (’66); and Sam Gonzalez (’93), minister at Oak Hills Church / Alamo Ranch in San Antonio, Texas.

The center provides a place to advance the academic study of racism and will provide mentoring, spiritual retreats, conferences and lecture series designed to lead to spiritual actions of genuine brother and sisterhood, Taylor said.

He sees the center as another step ACU is taking to advance the opportunities for people of all races to genuinely connect on a deeper spiritual level beyond color, Spain class and culture.

The diversity he sees on campus now makes him thankful, and the center provides another opportunity to rejoice in what God is doing to heal the world, Taylor said. 

ACU online certificate and degree programs CURRENT PROGRAMS • Certificate in Conflict Management and Resolution – Online with residency • Certificate in Conflict Management and Resolution for Church Leaders – Online with residency • Certificate in Conflict Management and Resolution for Educators – Online • Certificate in Healthcare Collaboration and Conflict Management – Online with residency • Certificate in Medical Family Therapy – Online • Bachelor of Science in Information Technology Administration – Online • Bachelor of Science in Psychology – Online • Master of Arts in Christian Ministry – Online with residencies • Master of Arts in Conflict Management and Reconciliation – Online with residency • Master of Arts in Global Service – Online with residencies • Master of Business Administration – Online • Master of Divinity – Online with residencies • Master of Education in Higher Education – Online with residency • Master of Education in Instructional Leadership – Online (Cohort only) • Master of Healthcare Administration – Online • Master of Marriage and Family Therapy – Online • Master of Science in Management – Online • Master of Science in Organizational Development – Online • Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership – Online • Doctor of Nursing Practice – Online

KIM LEESON

Participants get to know each other during a break at the Spain Center's Dallas Racial Unity Leadership Summit in May 2019 at Dallas West Church of Christ.

Learn more about ACU’s online programs at acu.edu/online

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CampusNEWS

For the latest visit acu.edu/news facebook.com/abilenechristian twitter.com/acuedu

BY ROBIN SAYLOR

instagram.com/acuedu

An architect's rendering shows locations for the first buildings in Phase I of Allen Ridge, the urban development planned at the corner of Ambler Avenue and Judge Ely Boulevard.

The Hill Shopping Center in Dallas, Texas. Renderings show Allen Ridge’s buildings featuring large windows overlooking a pond and landscapes, with waterfront outdoor dining, a park and a walking trail.

The university has owned the property since the 1940s, and it was known as Allen Farm for the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences through the 1990s.

Construction work begins on Allen Ridge development

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Eaton named dean of spiritual formation and university chaplain

SCOTT DELONY

The university broke ground on the highly anticipated Allen Ridge in late June, beginning construction of four buildings (a total of 26,000 square feet) as part of the planned urban development’s first phase.

Four restaurants were among the first retailers to sign leases – Blue Jean Café, The Biscuit Bar, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop and Phoenix Pho. Once completed, Allen Ridge – located at the intersections of Ambler Avenue, Interstate 20 and Judge Ely Boulevard – will offer an upscale leisure, shopping and living village for the north side of Abilene. Plans include a high-end, multi-family residential building in addition to a hotel, restaurants and retail shops.

“Our goal is to build something unique in Abilene, a place on the north side where people can spend time, relax and build community,” said Kelly Young (’85), vice president of Abilene Christian Investment Management Company (ACIMCO).

Examples of what Allen Ridge will look like include The Boardwalk at Granite Park in Plano, Texas, and

Cyrus Eaton, who began work Oct. 15, 2018, as ACU’s dean of spiritual formation and campus chaplain, said he has been encouraged by the number of people who care deeply about where Eaton the university is headed in the area of spiritual formation.

“I believe this is a place where

God is at work doing a great number of things,” he said. Eaton’s job is to oversee Student Life programs related to student spiritual development, ranging from Chapel to small-group Bible studies and mentoring.

Eaton, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Belmont University, comes to Abilene from Nashville, Tennessee, where he was part of the campus ministry team at Lipscomb University.

While at Lipscomb, he worked with Dr. Scott McDowell, who became ACU’s vice president for student life in July 2018 and hired Eaton shortly after.

“Cyrus brings a maturity that is beyond his years that I would equate to the biblical concept of wisdom,” McDowell said. “The Lord has shaped who he is, and it is noticeable in all the right ways. He’s the kind of man I want my sons to be like.” 

Hansen Reading Room, Packer Forum added to Brown Library Brown Library is celebrating two new spaces for teaching, learning, collaboration and study, expanding its ability to serve as a hub for the university’s academic life.

Former longtime trustee Ray Hansen (’53) was on campus Nov. 2, 2018, to celebrate the dedication of the Nancy and Ray Hansen Reading Commons with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Many of his colleagues, friends and family joined the special dedication.

Namesakes are Ray and his late first wife, Nancy (Waters ’53). The Reading Commons will provide a community space for book browsing, reading and special literary events.

Construction began this summer on the Barry and Diane Packer

INNOVAT I V E A C U

Ministers Support Network serves, supports couples

Nancy and Ray Hansen Reading Commons on the first floor of Brown Library

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Architectural rendering of the Barry and Diane Packer Forum on the top floor of Brown Library

SCOTT DELONY

Forum, a new multi-use conference space planned for the east side of the library’s top floor. Former ACU board chair and trustee Dr. Barry Packer (’78) and his wife, Diane (Stephens ’77), are namesakes of the project.

The Packer Forum will be a multi-functional event and productivity space overlooking the Campus Mall. With seating up to 150 people for university events, the Forum’s flexible design and furnishings will also serve as a student collaboration space for small group and individual study.

The Forum includes an adjacent conference room, catering kitchen, and food service area, which will double as a quiet study space when not utilized for event gatherings.

The Packer Forum will complete a five-year project to remodel the east side of the top floor of Brown Library, which began with the relocation of nearly a half-million books into compact shelving on the library’s first floor.

“Both new spaces were designed to better connect creativity on the ACU campus by hosting more reading, conversation and presentation,” said Dr. John Weaver, dean of library services and educational technology.

I

n 2017, the Barna Group published a study examining the lives of American pastors. The study, commissioned by Pepperdine University, found that one in three ministers are at risk of burnout, and nearly 50 percent encounter relational risks in their marriages, families and friendships.

“Ministers typically spend the majority of their time taking care of others in their ministries,” said Robert Oglesby Jr. (’81), instructor of Bible, missions and ministry and director of ACU’s Center for Youth and Family Ministry. “We try to stress the importance of self care for those who are in full-time ministry.”

Oglesby and his wife, Jenny (Linn ’81), serve as coordinators of ACU’s Ministers Support Network (MSN), an innovative program supporting and providing spiritual direction to ministry couples. Sponsored by the Siburt Institute for Church Ministry, MSN hosts two retreats each year for couples at Summers Mill Retreat and Conference Center in Belton, Texas.

The retreat focuses on four components in an effort to serve their families: reflection, support, spiritual direction and networking.

“The retreat format provides a safe place to share the realities of their lives with a group of ministry peers who understand the unique pressure of the ministry,” Oglesby said. “Each couple revisits their original call to ministry to find healing in the midst of crisis.

As we deepen our relationships, we have found that couples are more likely to call their host couples when they face their next difficult situation.”

MSN began with a retreat format in the late 1990s, with the original team of the late Dr. Charles (’68) and Judy (Bailey ’69) Siburt, Dr. Paul (’52) and the late Gladys (Shoemaker ’52) Faulkner, Dr. David (’67) and Jeanne (Witherspoon ’67) Wray and Dr. Eddie (’73) and Annette (Pruiett ’73) Sharp.

They established the model of using four host couples to mentor eight guest couples at each retreat. After Charles Siburt’s death in 2012, the remaining couples made the decision to step away from this ministry and three new couples – former ACU trustee Rick (’78)

and Jamie (Lyda ’81) Atchley, Chris (’88) and Stacie (Wetsel ’89) Hatchett, and Tracy (’04) and Tina (Mullinax ’11) Fleet – joined the Oglesbys to form the current team.

Throughout the past 20 years, more than 400 ministry couples have been served by MSN retreats. For many participants, just spending a weekend with peers in an environment in which honesty is encouraged and protected can be life-changing.

“I have stories in my pocket of transformation, grace and triumph,” said Caryn Blanchard (’10 M.A.),

wife of Dave Blanchard (’08 M.Div.).

The Blanchards are recent MSN retreat participants. “I will cling to those stories on my difficult days.”

Over the years, Oglesby has witnessed profound transformations in ministers and their spouses as a result of the retreats.

“We have ministers who come who planned to quit ministry that don’t,” he said. “We have ministers who have just been fired that get back into ministry after being deeply wounded. We have ministry spouses who realize that they are not alone in ministry. They find friends they so desperately needed.”

Couples are invited to the retreats at the recommendation of former participants. Ministers in need of renewal who are interested in attending an MSN retreat can contact Oglesby at oglesbyr@acu.edu.

“Ministry couples have a difficult time finding a place where they can be authentic in their personal or ministry struggles,” Oglesby said. “We believe this retreat is a place where that can happen.” 

– DEANA NALL

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113th annual Summit explores Christian life through the Psalms

• Summit will open with a joint concert by the ACU A Cappella Chorus and Alumni Chorus at 6:20 p.m. Sunday at University Church of Christ. The concert will lead into worship and the opening lecture by Mike Cope,

ACU wins four CASE awards Entries on behalf of ACU Today magazine headlined the university’s four regional awards in March 2019 from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) in its annual Accolades competition among professionals in marketing, alumni relations, advancement and communications at colleges and universities in the Southwest.

“Harvey’s Holy Place” by Sarah Carlson (’06), about alumni involved in Hurricane

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INSET: Fred Rogers in Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

FOCUS FEATURES

MAXWELL FILMWORKS

ACU’s 113th annual Summit returns Sept. 15-18 with the theme “Sorrow, Hope and Joy: Life in the Mountains and Valleys of the Psalms.” Five theme speakers will guide attendees through the ups and downs of life as they correspond with the Psalms. This year, attendees can choose from 21 pathways related to leadership, ministry, service and spiritual growth. Highlights include:

In Finding Home in Boomtown, John-Mark Echols (right) checks on one of Midland’s many homeless on a frigid night in West Texas.

director of ministry outreach at Pepperdine University.

• Other theme speakers are Mo Isom, popular speaker and New York Times best-selling author of Sex, Jesus and the Conversations the Church Forgot; Beverly (Jones ’79) Ross, international advocate for women’s ministries as well as

Harvey relief efforts, won gold in feature writing. ACU Today, the only university in the Southwest to be a CASE regional overall magazine finalist three times in the past five years, won silver.

Other awards were for fundraising project or special event (#SupportWildcats – ACU Day of Giving 2018) and admissions publications (Visit folder) and fundraising stewardship and donor relations (ACU Donor Stewardship Initiative).

ACU’s University Marketing team has won 150 regional awards and five international medals from CASE in the past 24 years.

founder and executive director for Wise County Christian Counseling; Shane Wood, one of Christian Standard’s “40 Leaders Under 40” and author of Between Two Trees: Our Transformation from Death to Life; and Dr. Steven Moore, ACU associate professor of language and literature, and director of the McNair Scholars Program.

Sing Song winners announced Overall winners from the 2019 edition of Sing Song each donated $1,000 to their favorite local charity: • Men’s division: Galaxy, Gamma Sigma Phi and Trojans • Women’s division: Ko Jo Kai, Sigma Theta Chi and GATA • Mixed division: Seniors, sophomores and freshmen (Playing Cards)

• On Monday and Tuesday, Enneagram teachers Dr. Carson Reed (’95 D.Min.) and Chelsie (Fletcher ’05) Sargent will lead five sessions, including introducing the Enneagram, then

Upcoming events sponsored

by ACU’s Siburt Institute • Lunch and Learn with Dr. Jerry Taylor, Abilene, Aug. 29, 2019 • 113th annual Summit, Abilene, Sept. 15-18, 2019 • Contemplative Ministers’ Initiative Retreat, Abilene, Oct. 7-10, 2019 Registration and more information are online at acu.edu/siburt-institute.

• Several pathways will host Conversation Corners at the end of the day. These sessions will allow speakers to interact with attendees for a better experience.

• Wednesday mini-pathway offerings are loaded with information. Randy Harris will host “Living Out the Gospel in a Secular Age”; Dr. Jason Byassee will host “Faithful and Fractured: Responding to the Clergy Health Crisis”; Dr. Eddie Sharp (’73) and Dr. Cheryl Mann Bacon (’76) will host “Comfort When the Shadow Falls: Encouraging the Dying and Those Affected

by Grief”; and Dr. Brad East (’08), Mitch East (’15) and Bradley Steele (’09) will host “A Third Way for Churches of Christ.”

• ACU Press will bring several of its most popular published authors to speak on topics from their books. 

Learn more about Summit or register at acu.edu/summit

Ministers’ salary survey results available The 2019 Ministers’ Salary Survey, compiled by ACU’s Siburt Institute for Church Ministry, is now available. The survey provides comparative pay information for staff in Churches of Christ nationwide. The results provide a useful tool for church leaders seeking to build competitive compensation packages for their ministry leaders.

Download the survey results at acu.edu/siburt-institute

Jirik

SCOTT DELONY

• The Summit Film Festival includes an award-winning documentary about the late Fred Rogers in Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and the Abilene premiere of Finding Home in Boomtown, a new documentary directed by Matt Maxwell (’07).

After the showing, the Social Justice pathway will host a Q&A session with Maxwell and pathway presenters.

explaining steps for using it.

Monday night, they will host an Enneagram Panel, featuring people representing all nine personality types, and time for Q&A with the audience.

SCOTT DELONY

• Twenty-one pathways will provide ample opportunities for attendees to hear discussion about their personal areas of service. Topics include: small churches, innovative leadership, Center for Ancient and Religious Texts, discipleship in a multicultural society, congregational leadership, racial unity and justice, the Psalms in worship, formation of young adults, biblical storytelling, faith and the future of work, Christianity in politics and policy, growing young, intergenerational church, and the Holy Spirit.

Dalton

ACU among top producers of U.S. Fulbright students; two more awarded ACU is one of only three Texas institutions to earn a spot on the list of colleges and universities nationwide that produced the most 2018-19 Fulbright students. Each year, the U.S. Department of State announces the top-producing institutions for the Fulbright Program, the government’s flagship international educational exchange program.

Three ACU students – Lindsie Lawson (’18), Mackenzie Sanderson (’18) and Kyle Yarbrough (’13) – received Fulbright awards for academic year 2018-19. Two seniors, Mackenzie Dalton and Angela Jirik, are receiving the award for 2019-20.

“We are very proud of our Fulbright recipients and thrilled for this institutional honor. I think the Fulbright program is a great fit for students at ACU due to its service orientation and global mission,” said Dr. Jason Morris (’94 M.S.), dean of the Honors College and director of the Office of Major Scholarships at ACU. ACU has a long tradition of Fulbright recipients, dating back to the 1950s with fields of study such as journalism, recreation, music, management, physics, education and political science. Fifteen scholars teaching or studying at ACU have been recipients of 17 Fulbright fellowships during their academic careers, and three times there have been multiple honorees in the same year. 

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Wildcat SPORTS

For the latest visit acusports.com facebook.com/acusports twitter.com/acusports

BY L ANCE FLEMING AND CHRIS MACALUSO

instagram.com/acusports

Fink named first-team Academic All-America

Southland standout year: Wildcats win five league team titles, send three teams to nationals ACU finished fourth in the 2018-19 Southland Conference Commissioner’s Cup standings.

The Wildcats’ point total of 146 is its second-best since rejoining the league in 2013-14, trailing only the 147.5 scored in 2015-16 when finishing a program-best third.

The Wildcats snapped a string of back-to-back sixth-place finishes in the Commissioner’s Cup and for the first time, ACU men’s programs scored more points (74.5) than the women’s (71.5).

The men finished second behind overall winner Sam Houston State (79.5 men’s points and 159.5 overall points), while the women were sixth (71.5 points) behind Stephen F. Austin (91.5 women’s points and 148.5 overall points).

ACU finished the year with two regular-season league championships to its credit (men’s and women’s tennis), but three conference tournament titles in men’s and women’s basketball and women’s 70

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soccer that sent each to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in each program’s history.

The nine ACU programs that keep season records finished 165-132-1 overall in 2018-19, including 83-61-1 in Southland play.

Of the 16 teams that competed in conference play this year (beach volleyball didn’t post a Southland record), 12 of them posted a fifth-place or better finish in the regular-season standings or in their respective tournament championship meet. Ten teams finished in the top four, five in the top three and four in the top two.

Sam Houston State won both the men’s All-Sports Award and the overall championship, while SFA won the women’s All-Sports Award.

The wins in the all-sports and the men’s sports categories represent back-to-back top finishes for the Bearkats. SFA’s win in women’s sports also is a repeat performance.

ACU has finished ahead of University of the Incarnate Word (sixth with 125 points), Houston Baptist (11th with 72.5) and New Orleans (13th with 61.5) in all six Commissioner Cup chases since the four universities entered the conference together prior to the 2013-14 academic year. 

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Josh Fink led ACU in receiving in 2019 with 55 catches for 644 yards and four TDs.

JEREMY ENLOW

RICK YEATTS

The women's basketball team celebrates its Southland tournament title.

ACU junior wide receiver Josh Fink was selected to the 2018 Google Cloud Academic All-America NCAA Division I football team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Fink – the only student-athlete honored from a Texas university – is one of 13 FCS offensive players to be named first team, which includes University of Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, Academic All-America Team Member of the Year.

“I’m very thankful to have coaches who push me to excel in all areas of life. It’s a blessing to see my dedication to academics be honored in such a prestigious way,” Fink said.

Fink – who also was a first team academic all-district selection – is a junior accounting / finance major from Coppell, Texas, with a 3.95 GPA. He’s the first Wildcat football player to earn Academic All-America honors at the Division I level.

“Josh is a quality young man who does everything right, on and off the field,” said head coach Adam Dorrel.

“He is a great Christian role model for the rest of our football team.”

JEFF KELLUM

Soccer team wins Southland, becomes first from ACU in NCAA Division I Tournament

JEREMY ENLOW

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P

erhaps the best season in ACU’s short NCAA Division I history was led by standout Wildcats who helped propel their teams to two regular-season Southland Conference championships (men’s and women’s tennis) and three league tournament titles that resulted in first-time NCAA Tournament berths (women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s basketball).

Wildcats also were named the top athletes in the Southland in two other sports (women’s track and field and baseball).

The Paul Goad Award as the top male and female student-athletes at ACU in 2018-19 went to senior men’s basketball player Jaren Lewis and junior women’s basketball player Breanna Wright.

Lewis and fellow seniors Jaylen Franklin and Hayden Farquhar were presented with the Horizon Award after leading the men’s basketball team to the Southland tournament title and a first-round nationally televised March Madness game with Kentucky.

The Horizon Award was created in 2008 to honor student-athletes whose performances in a single season are so noteworthy that they belong in a separate category from the Paul Goad Award.

Other top Southland honors earned by Wildcats in 2018-19: TIM NELSON

The Wildcat soccer team won its first Southland Conference title in November 2018 and advanced to ACU’s first NCAA Division I Tournament in only its second year of postseason eligibility.

Led by a starting lineup composed of eight all-conference honorees, the fifth-seeded Wildcats defeated McNeese, 3-1, in the quarterfinals, blanked the regular-season winners from Central Arkansas, 1-0, in the semifinals, and knocked off the 10-time Southland champs from Stephen F. Austin, 3-1, to earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAAs. ACU faced 11th-ranked Baylor in its first-round NCAA match and once again dropped a 2-0 decision to the Bears just as it did at the start of the season on Aug. 15.

In between the Waco defeats, however, the Wildcats won a Division I era record 15 matches and set program season records for lowest goals-against average (0.50), save percentage (.897) and shutouts (13).

The Wildcats also went 21 matches without allowing a first-half goal.

Alyssia Anuat was voted Southland Freshman of the Year, giving the Wildcats that honor for the third consecutive season. Christina Arteaga, who won in 2017, finished sixth in the league in scoring with 1.09 points per game, and 2016 recipient Shay Johnson tallied nine points from midfield.

Redshirt junior goalie Rachel Johnson finished fourth nationally with a .907 save percentage.

Wildcat performances dominated the Southland in 2018-19

Women’s Track and Field Athlete of the Year Kayla Melgar sealed her status as the women’s Most Valuable Performer at the league’s 2019 outdoor championships after ringing up 26 points with three podium appearances. The senior from Tempe, Arizona, finished first overall in the shot put (52-08 feet) and had a pair of second-place finishes in the discus (168-08) and hammer throw (184-00).

She finished 22nd in the shot put at the Division I outdoor championships.

Men’s Tennis Player of the Year and Student-Athlete of the Year Josh Sheehy, a senior from Arlington, Texas, earned a 3.78 GPA in accounting and financial management and was named Southland Player of the Year. He was undefeated in league singles and 3-1 in doubles. He also became the first Wildcat to play in the NCAA Division I singles championships, where he fell in straight sets to 57th-ranked Tanner Smith of USC in the first round.

Baseball Player of the Year The first Wildcat to earn this honor in baseball, senior catcher Luis Trevino from Mission, Texas, led the league in batting average by 30 percentage points (.408), RBI (63), slugging (.743) and on-base percentage (.504), and walks (39), and was second in home runs (15). He was walked 11 times following a three-homer game at New Orleans, and finished one Kayla home run shy of winning Melgar the league’s triple crown.

All of his stats are ACU Division I era season records, as are his 142 total bases and nine intentional Luis walks. He was named Trevino second team All-America

by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and selected in the 40th round of the MLB draft by Tampa Bay. Other Southland honorees in 2018-19 include Jaren Lewis (Student-Athlete of the Year and Tournament MVP, men’s basketball), Breanna Wright (Tournament MVP, women’s basketball), Shay Johnson (Tournament MVP, women’s soccer), Alyssia Anuat (Freshman of the Year, women’s soccer), Luke Anthony (Student-Athlete of the Year, football), Billy McCrary (Co-Newcomer of the Year, football), Kai Schmidt (Student-Athlete of the Year, men’s indoor track and field), Ryan Cleary (Student-Athlete of the Year, outdoor track and field), Hutton Jones (Coach of the Year, men’s tennis), John Walker (Coach of the Year, women’s tennis), and Joe Golding (Coach of the Year, men's basketball).  ACU TODAY

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Golf, tennis, baseball and softball programs benefit from newest facility enhancements In the six years since ACU made its move to NCAA Division I affiliation and re-joined the Southland Conference – the league it helped to found in 1963 – construction on new facilities and renovations of existing ones has been a near-constant on the north end of campus.

Since 2013-14, a new Elmer Gray Stadium was built to serve women’s soccer and men’s and women’s track and field, along with a locker room facility for the latter. Artificial turf at Crutcher Scott Field (baseball) and A.E. “Poly” Wells Field (softball), as well as other improvements at both stadiums, soon followed, as did the $50 million Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium where the football team now plays its home games.

And in the last year, more than $5 million in generous donations for new projects and renovations have provided some of the best facilities in the Southland Conference.

In recent months, completed projects have included:

Construction is underway on the Byron Nelson Clubhouse adjacent to the new short-game golf practice facility on Judge Ely Boulevard.

• $1.66 million in improvements to the Margaret and William J. Teague Center, including a new academic center and meeting space, and Celebration Hall, a venue to showcase the university and its athletics history.

• $1.54 million John T.L. Jones Tennis Building for men’s and women’s tennis, including locker and team rooms, offices and an observation deck.

• $1.2 million Golf Training Facility funded through gifts by Mark (’83) and April (Bullock ’86) Anthony, Eric (’81) and Danna (McGlothlin ’80) Oliver, and others.

SCOTT DELONY

The John T.L. Jones Tennis Building overlooks courts 1-4 at the Eager Tennis Center.

• Renovation of baseball’s Gilbreth-Scott Teamroom at Crutcher Scott Field.

SP OR T S DIGE S T Montgomery inducted to Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame

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Michaela (left) and Alexandria Hackett

Hackett twins qualify for Olympic Trials Twin former ACU distance-running standouts Alexandria (’17) and Michaela Hackett (’17) will be headed to the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials after posting qualifying times in the women’s marathon. Alexandria, the

Taylor Gabriel JEREMY ENLOW

DOUG BARBER

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In August, Wilbert Montgomery (’77) headlined the 2019 induction class of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, along with former Mississippi State University quarterback and coach Rockey Felker, former LPGA golfer Cissye Gallagher, and former MLB pitcher Roy Montgomery Oswalt, among others.

ACU’s all-time rushing leader played in one Super Bowl and coached in three others, earning two NFL title rings during a pro playing-coaching career that spanned 28 years.

He was inducted to the inaugural Philadelphia Eagles Honor Roll in 1987 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

SP OR T S ROUNDUP Baseball • The Wildcats finished 2019 with a home sweep of Nicholls in recording its best overall record (26-26) since ACU transitioned to NCAA Division I. ACU also tied a team season record for most Southland Conference victories with 13.

• Senior catcher Luis Trevino was voted Southland Conference Player of the Year after hitting .408 with 15 home runs and 63 RBI. Trevino was first-team all-conference at catcher, while classmate Dalon Farkas was second team as an outfielder. Pitchers Spencer Chirpich and Brennan Lewis earned honorable mentions.

Cross Country

SCOTT DELONY

The baseball program’s Gilbreth-Scott Teamroom was renovated at Crutcher Scott Field.

• 4,500-square-foot indoor hitting facility for softball was completed this spring, located down the left-field line near the ACU bullpen that will give the softball team a place of its own in which to practice on inclement weather days.

• In 51-year-old Moody Coliseum, new LED lighting in the arena has enhanced the gameday environment for basketball and will do the same for volleyball next fall.

The Byron Nelson Clubhouse is being built on Judge Ely Boulevard, next to “The Jim” – the short-game golf practice facility named in honor of former ACU trustee Jim Anthony and Jim Oliver, the fathers of Mark Anthony and Eric Oliver. 

eight-time Southland Conference champion, was running her first competitive marathon race. The marathon Trials will take place in February 2020 in conjunction with the Atlanta Marathon. The top three women’s and men’s finishers will be named to the U.S. team that will compete in Tokyo next summer.

ACU Sports Hall of Fame to induct nine The 2019-20 inductee class of the ACU Sports Hall of Fame will be honored Oct. 18, 2019, at Homecoming.

Inductees include football center and former assistant coach Sam Collins (’10) and

Football • The Wildcats won four of their last five games to finish 6-5 overall and 5-4 in the Southland.

• A program record-tying 12 Wildcats were voted to the 2018 all-conference team. ACU’s selections were led by junior middle linebacker Jeremiah Chambers, who was voted to the first team, and junior running back Billy McCrary, who was voted the league’s Co-Newcomer of the Year, along with second-team honors.

• Sophomore quarterback Luke Anthony was named the Southland’s football Student-Athlete of the Year, joining four teammates on the academic all-conference team: junior wide receiver Josh Fink, sophomore fullback Chance Pierce, sophomore offensive lineman Kade Parmelly and senior safety Erik Huhn. Anthony also was voted to the FCS ADA Academic All-Star team.

Golf • Sophomore Alex Clouse and junior Bryce Dooley each were voted 2019 All-Southland. Clouse repeated as a third-team selection, while Dooley was honorable mention. They helped the Wildcats to a fifth-place finish (48-over-par 912) at the conference championship tournament.

• Dooley also was named second team Academic All-Southland.

A financial management major, he finished the season with

wide receiver Jerale Badon (’08); women’s tennis standout Irene Squillaci-Sandoval (’09); record-setting women’s pole vaulter Meredith (Garner ’02) Powell and Kenyan middle-distance runner John Kemboi (’02); the late Lindsay (Dehoff ’02) Brewer, an awardwinning women’s volleyball player; and slugging first baseman and former assistant baseball coach Brandon Stover (’02).

A Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented posthumously to Wildcat baseball benefactors Al (’61) and Dottie Scott.

Al’s late father, Crutcher, is namesake of Scott Field.

Former Wildcat quarterback Jim Gash (’89), recently named president and CEO of Pepperdine University, will receive the Jim Womack Award.

The Scotts

GORDON TRICE

JEREMY ENLOW

• Junior Carnley Graham repeated as a second-team All-Southland honoree after placing sixth at the league championships hosted by McNeese. She completed the 6K course in 23:16, and was selected Academic All-Southland for the third consecutive year.

• Graham tied the single-season program record of Alexandria Hackett (’17) with three league Runner of the Week citations.

She received the award after winning ACU’s Naimadu Classic and the Incarnate Word Invitational, and placing sixth at Texas A&M.

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a 74.3 scoring average over 28 rounds. His best finish was tied for eighth (8-under-par 208) at The Big Texan, where he became the only Wildcat in 2019 to shoot below par in all three rounds.

• Sophomore designated player Samantha Bradley and junior outfielder Linsey Tomlinson were named third team All-Southland, while junior Blair Clayton earned honorable mention honors.

• After the Wildcats finished their 2019 season with a 13-31 overall record, head coach Bobby Reeves stepped down from his position. Abigail Farler, head coach at Corban University and former assistant at Western Oregon and standout player at Marshall University, was hired in June 2019.

Billy McCrary

JEREMY ENLOW

Softball

Women’s Track and Field

Women’s Tennis

Mikai Brown

STEFFENIE BURNS

Men’s Tennis • The Wildcats won their second Southland regular-season title with a 5-0 league record.

ACU’s 22 overall wins were its best since 2012.

• ACU registered a sweep of the Southland’s four major individual awards. Hutton Jones (’81) was voted Coach of the Year, Josh Sheehy received Student-Athlete and Player of the Year honors, while Freshman and Newcomer of the Year plaudits were earned by midseason addition Dimitris Azoides and junior Akinori Wada.

• Senior Josh Sheehy completed the regular season with a No. 108 national ranking from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, and became the first Southland player to represent the league since 2015 in the NCAA Division Championships singles bracket.

• ACU won its first Southland regular-season title after posting a near-perfect 10-1 record.

• In his first year as women’s head coach following 16 seasons as a dedicated assistant, John Walker (’89) was voted Southland Coach of the Year. His team finished 2019 with a 15-10 overall record.

• Freshman Allison Stewart and sophomore Ileana Mocciola were voted first team All-Southland. Stewart registered a perfect 11-0 record at the No. 5 position, and Mocciola went 8-2 against league competition at the No. 6 line. Senior Jordan Henry received an honorable mention at No. 4.

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• Senior Kayla Melgar was selected Southland Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

The Tempe, Arizona, native accumulated 26 points during the three-day meet, finishing first in the shot put (52-08.0 feet) to go along with a pair of second-place finishes in the discus (168-08) and hammer throw (184-00).

• The Wildcat women scored a program meet record at the conference outdoor championships with 104 points, combining to win eight medals. Sophomore Annina Brandenburg earned gold in the discus, silver in the javelin and bronze in the shot put, while senior teammate Lonnie Smith was tops in the hammer throw. Junior Irene Akwitti won her first conference medal in the 100-meter hurdles (14.26).

• Melgar (shot put) and Brandenburg (discus) became the first Wildcat track and field athletes in 30 years to qualify for the NCAA Division I outdoor championship meet.

Both placed among the top 10 in their respective events at the West Preliminary Round hosted by Sacramento State.

Melgar (16.80 meters / 55-01.50 feet) and Brandenburg (56.86 meters / 186-02 feet) set school records in earning their spots.

• Brandenburg finished 15th in the discus at the Division I outdoor championships.

Volleyball

Ileana Mocciola

TIM NELSON

Men’s Track and Field • The men’s team placed third and second, respectively, at the 2019 Southland Indoor and Outdoor Championships. The Wildcats scored 77 indoor points, and 104 points at the outdoor meet. The 4x400-meter relay of Ryan Linton, Blaze Brownlow, Jared Williams and Avery Williams won both conference gold medals with times of 3:13.23 and 3:09.22.

• Senior thrower Kai Schmidt was chosen by the Southland Awards Committee as its Student-Athlete of the Year for the 2019 indoor season. At his final indoor and outdoor conference meets, Schmidt won the shot put with respective distances of 58-11.5 and 60-10.5 feet.

• The men’s team earned 20 all-conference citations between the indoor and outdoor championship meets. In addition to Schmidt’s and the 1600-meter relay’s gold-medal sweeps, first-team outdoor honors also were earned by senior Ryan Cleary in the 3000-meter steeplechase and sophomore Jared Williams in the 400-meter dash.

• The Wildcats won 13 matches for the second consecutive year, finishing the season 13-16 overall and 10-6 (fourth) in conference.

• Seniors Kendall Bosse, Jacey Smith and Lauren Walker received postseason honors from the Southland. Bosse, a setter, was voted first-team all-conference, while outside hitter Smith earned second team, and middle blocker Walker was honorable mention for the second consecutive season.

• Senior defensive specialist Mikai Brown was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District Second Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Brown subsequently was voted first-team academic all-conference with classmates Bosse and Smith. 

YOUR GIFTS AT WORK

$243,818 Combined total of commitments to endowed scholarships set up by social clubs Frater Sodalis, Gamma Sigma Phi, Ko Jo Kai and Sigma Theta Chi, as of Dec. 10, 2018.

11.5 Percentage of overall individual ACU donors in 2017-18 who were in a social club. .

$25,000 Amount required to fund a restricted endowed scholarship.

An unrestricted endowed scholarship requires $10,000.

717 Number of endowments funding 1,531 scholarships in 2017-18 academic year.

Recent scholarship endowments created • Ed Allred Gamma Sigma Phi / Kinsmen Endowed Scholarship • Delia G. Gomez Memorial Endowed Scholarship • Jack and Ruth Allen Griggs Endowed Scholarship • Guerra Family Opportunity Endowed Scholarship • Onstead Opportunity Endowed Scholarship • Steve and Becky Smith Endowed Scholarship • Henley Family Scholarship for Education Majors • Kenneth Wayne and Jean Stanley Rich Endowed Scholarship • Jim and Cynthia Cooke Endowed Scholarship • Shelly Roggendorff Memorial Endowed Scholarship • Jean and Glenn Nichols Endowed Scholarship • Swedlund Family Endowed Scholarship for Accounting • Steve and Becky Smith Endowed Scholarship • Peggy Shanks Hendrix Endowed Scholarship for Education • Steve and Gari (Brooke) Lugar Endowed Scholarship for Nursing • Enzor Family Endowed Scholarship • Tommy and Martha Morris Endowed Scholarship • Robert “Kool” Gibbs White Endowed Scholarship • David Glenn Rickard Memorial Endowed Scholarship • Lindsay DeHoff Brewer Scholarship Endowment To create your own endowed scholarship or contribute to an existing one, see acu.edu/giveonline or call 800-674-2600.

The proposed Siggie Pavilion Park, north of the Hardin Adminisration Building and east of the Zona Luce Building.

Learn more at acu.edu/Siggies50

Siggies raise anniversary funds for pavilion park Lisa (Scott ’86) Johnson can picture it: a pavilion nestled north of the Hardin Administration Building and east of the Zona Luce Building where people from campus and visitors alike can gather, relax and enjoy campus and each other’s company.

This pavilion will do even more than serve as a venue for groups and even as an outdoor classroom; it will commemorate the legacy of women’s social club Sigma Theta Chi, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Fundraising for Siggie Pavilion Park began in Spring 2019, and a special anniversary dinner for Siggies is set for the Friday of Homecoming, Oct. 18.

“We want to create something that will build community and bring people together,” said Johnson, who is helping spearhead the planning committee for construction of Siggie Pavilion Park. “This will be a space for reflection, connection and building relationships.”

Siggies aren’t the only social club reaching a big anniversary.

Frater Sodalis celebrated 75 years in 2017, and Gamma Sigma Phi (formerly Kinsmen) hit 50 years in 2018. Both clubs created endowed scholarships to celebrate as well as honor club sponsors who have given decades in service: the Tim Yandell Frater Sodalis Endowed Scholarship and the Ed Allred Gamma Sigma Phi/Kinsmen Scholarship. Yandell (’85) and Allred (’76) have become beloved patriarchs of their clubs.

The women of GATA and the women of Ko Jo Kai are both about to celebrate their clubs turning 100. Plans are underway for marking these milestones, with Kojies already raising funds for the Ko Jo Kai Endowed Scholarship.

Craig Fisher (’92), assistant vice president for alumni and university relations, isn’t surprised at the number of fundraising opportunities that have arisen with social clubs. “So many alumni have such great memories from their time with their club or student organization and how it shaped their friendships and experience at ACU,” he said. “It’s exciting to see them continue that relationship by giving back to their alma mater and blessing students today.”

When she was in Sigma Theta Chi at ACU, Johnson said, she didn't realize she was forming relationships that would last decades.

“It has been amazing to watch the depth of those relationships grow as time passes,” Johnson said. “They’re the people I celebrate with when I have good news, and the people I call when the hard stuff in life happens.”

“We are bound in community and sisterhood from one generation to the next,” she said. “We benefited from the traditions that were started by the Siggies before us, and it’s important to invest in Siggies and ACU so future Wildcats can share in the rich experiences and relationships we’ve enjoyed for many years.” 

ACU TODAY

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– SARAH CARLSON

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EXPERIENCES Submit your news online at blogs.acu.edu/acutoday/experiences or use the EXperiences card in each issue of the magazine.

Deadlines: ACU Today is published two times a year. Because of printing deadlines, your news could be delayed by one issue.

In Memoriam: It’s best for a member of the deceased’s immediate family to submit notification, preferably with a copy of the official published obituary.

Contact information: To help ensure the privacy of our alumni, ACU Today no longer shares email and postal addresses of those whose self-reported news appears in EXperiences. If you would like contact information for someone listed here, call 800-373-4220 or email alumni@acu.edu for assistance.

Mac Donald Brockman retired in July 2018 from New York Life after 40 years in the insurance industry. He and his wife, Beth (Palmer ’77 M.Ed.), have two sons and live in Montgomery, Texas.

1977

Nashville recording artists Christopher and Janet (Heimermann) Harris continue to perform as Rodeo and Juliet (facebook.com/rodeoandjuliet). Chris also is a producer, member of the Gospel Music Association, multiple winner of Dove awards and twice a Grammy nominee. They live in Franklin, Tennessee.

1978

1953

Dr. James Wilburn is now dean emeritus after 47 years at Pepperdine University as dean of the School of Business and Management, inaugural dean of the School of Public Policy, vice president, and provost. Pepperdine has named James R. Wilburn Auditorium in his honor. His wife, Gail, is executive director of the Southern California Counseling Center in Los Angeles. They live in Malibu, California.

1954

Bobbie Huebner Abston is retired and has a new address in Dallas, Texas.

1963

Russell O. Vail was ranked 22nd in the nation in 2017 for the men’s 70-79 age group for master’s indoor shot put. He is defending state champion for outdoor shot put as well, and also competes in javelin, discus and race walking events. He holds one national and five state records, three national and numerous state individual event records. Vail lives in White Lake, Michigan.

1964

Dee Carter published an autobiography, It’s Now or Never: How to Enjoy Your Life and Not Let Your Investments Own You (See page 52.), which presents advice on financial planning while sharing anecdotes about ACU and the people there who helped shape his life. He is president of Carter Financial Group and a Registered Financial Consultant.

He and his wife, Susan, live in Midland, Texas.

1966

Judy Buckley Webster lives in Plano, Texas.

1967

Dr. Chunhye (Kim) Lee is a retired professor who lives in Flagstaff, Arizona.

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1968

Forest and Joyce Ann (Foster ’69) Nichols have moved from Odessa, Texas, to retire in Peoria, Arizona, following a 40-year career in preaching ministry.

1969

Phyllis Carol Bailey lives in McMinnville, Tennessee, where she is an author with PCB Enterprises. She was married from 1994-2004 to Leland Tatum.

Gary Cummings is clinical director for Nursespring of Charlottesville, Virginia. He also is an infusion RN clinician for US Bioservices, a speciality infusion pharmacy. He and his wife, Faith, live in Waynesboro, Virginia.

1970

MaryAnne (Nash) Harmer is retired. She and her husband, John “Skip” William Harmer III, have a new address in Tomball, Texas.

Jim and Linda (Hendricks) Milstead are retired and live in Grand Prairie, Texas.

1972

Dr. John Hobbs, preacher for the Sachse (Texas) Church of Christ, has published Christian Ethics, his 15th book (See page 54.). He and his wife, Mary Etta (Palmer), a voice teacher, live in Wylie, Texas.

1973

Gary and Carol Ann (Agnew) Holliman are co-founders of PrideRock Wildlife Refuge in Terrell, Texas, where they have cared for big cats, bears and wolves for more than 20 years.

For more information: priderock.org.

1979

Barry and Reene Stephens live in Crookston, Minnesota. Barry is a lecturer at the University of Minnesota Crookston.

1980

Dr. Phil Roberson (M.R.E.) is an associate clinical professor at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas. He also is executive director of the TAMIU-LBV Literacy Partnership, which provides one-on-one tutoring for emerging readers in Laredo elementary schools. He lives in Kerrville, Texas.

Craig and Brenda (Willis ’81) Noland live in Flower Mound, Texas. Brenda is a teacher in the Lewisville (Texas) ISD.

1981

Howard Cox, who earned a master’s degree in English from ACU, was appointed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to the English Language and Literature Field of Study Advisory Committee. He is chair of the Department of Language Arts and Education at Angelina College. His wife, Kathie (Henry ’86) Cox, is a teacher at Central Middle School.

They live in Alto, Texas.

Carla G. (Martin) McKee is retired after teaching in the Cullman (Alabama) County School System. She lives in nearby Hanceville.

1983

1976

MARRIED

Greg Vick retired in February 2017 as city manager of Watauga, Texas, concluding 42 years in municipal government. His wife, Diane (Bailey ’78), is a retired teacher. They continue to live in the same community.

Carol Perry is retired from Citicorp and lives in Abilene, Texas.

Glen Moore and Yvonne Beth Robinson (’84), March 17, 2018. Yvonne is a paralegal for Cook Inlet Tribal Council Inc. They live in Springtown, Texas.

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS 1984

Jim Vernon retired in July 2017 from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. He now lives in Abilene, Texas.

1985

Wayne and Wendy (Miller) Grizzell live in Woodland Park, Colorado. Their daughter, Lauren Grizzell, graduated from the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, and works for Walgreens in Colorado Springs.

1986

Doug Johnson, a high school teacher and coach, earned a master’s degree in history from Sam Houston State University in August 2017. He and his wife, Tammy, live in Weimar, Texas.

Mike Pipkin was elected to serve a three-year term on the Council for the American Bar Association’s Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section. He is an attorney for Weinstein Radcliff Pipkin LLP. He and his wife, Lisa (Blanks), live in Dallas, Texas.

1988

Michael Brett McNeill is president of Puerta de Esperanza Inc., a missions ministry in Valle de Angeles, Honduras, helping orphans and special-needs people.

His wife is Vanessa (Means ’90).

1989

Wealth Management LLC, and Gina is a homemaker.

1994

Dan and Kelli Stevens live in Abilene, Texas.

Brian and Christie (Thompson) Gibson have moved from the Metroplex to Lubbock, Texas.

1995

In her role as medical director for quality improvement for the American Academy of Family Physicians, Amy (O’Quinn) Mullins, M.D., and Humana hosted a congressional briefing in Washington, D.C., to present key findings from a study to help understand physicians’ perceptions and attitudes about value-based payment models. The AAFP represents 110,600 family physicians, family medicine residents and medical students nationwide. She and her husband, Ryan Mullins, live in Leawood, Kansas.

Shawn Hughes is an associate director for Humana. He and his wife, Kimberly, and their son, live in Rockwall, Texas.

1996

Sybil Johnson is a voice actor who was nominated for a 2018 Voice Arts Award in the category of Audiobook Narration: Short Story Anthology for a novella, The Sea Glass Sisters, by New York Times best-selling author Lisa Wingate. Johnson lives in New Port Richey, Florida.

Timothy and Jennifer (Bruton) Davis live in Temple, Texas, where he was elected mayor in May 2018. Tim is owner and CEO of Texas Benefit Alliance, and Jennifer is testing coordinator for Temple High School. She is a former member of the Temple ISD Board of Trustees and an adjunct professor at Texas A&M University Central Texas.

Cmdr. Hunter Haltom retired in April 2018 after more than 28 years of service in the U.S. Navy. He lives in Omaha, Nebraska.

1997

1990

1998

Kevin and Amy (Burns) McCall live in Bedford Texas, where she works for Texas Health Resources.

Stuart McAlister was named executive director of the Nashville-based nonprofit, Sweet Sleep. He lives in Franklin, Tennessee.

MARRIED

Anthony Campbell and Michelle Norman (’92), July 7, 2018. Michelle teaches sixth grade in the Jim Ned ISD. They live in Abilene, Texas.

1991

Pete and April (Huffman) Edwards live in Fort Myers, Florida.

1992

Bill and Gina (Shepard) Jenkins have a new address in Canyon, Texas. Bill is financial advisor and wealth manager for Jenkins

BORN

To Jeff McKissick, M.D., and Amy (Crittenden ’99) McKissick, a girl, Halle Hope, July 1, 2018. The McKissicks have moved back to the U.S. with their 10 children after 13 years in Paraguay as full-time medical missionaries and church planters. Jeff is a family physician in Belton, Texas. They live in Troy, Texas.

Jenni Trietsch became assistant controller at SoftSearch Investment LP in October 2018. She lives in Abilene, Texas.

ADOPTED

By Matt and Sara (McRae) Moreland, a boy, BaoFan Moreland, July 3, 2017.

He was born in 2014 in China. They live in Midlothian, Texas.

1999

Jenni Laura (Moore) Langston lives in Gatesville, Texas, where she teaches junior high ELAR/history in the Gatesville ISD. Ronald Masindano was named an advisor for the cabinet secretary of devolution and ASALs (arid and semi-arid lands) in the Republic of Kenya. He is married to Rose Mary Wasilwa, a social worker for Buckner Kenya, an NGO ministry seeking justice for orphans and at-risk children.

T

he move-in process started months in advance.

We made a place in our home to to assemble what items needed to go, some of which we’d purchased and others that had been given as high school graduation presents.

Bedding, towels, shelves, etc. It was a fun process – and a little overwhelming.

And then: It was time.

Time for my wife, Beth Fisher Ann, and I to move our first-born son, Riley, to college. Time to load my pickup truck, drive to Mabee Hall and help him begin an incredible new chapter in his journey.

We’d prayed about this day for years, that Riley will feel God’s guidance through faculty, staff and friends along with the opportunities that being a student at ACU can provide.

When the time came, we were met with joy.

From the energetic and helpful students who did the heavy lifting to get Riley’s things to the third floor, to the visitors from across campus and other families of freshmen who stopped in to welcome us, everyone brought joy to what was an emotional day.

Helping Riley settle in was a blessing because we know he’s in a place where he will be loved, challenged, seen and impacted. It struck me that it was almost 30 years to the day from when I’d moved into Mabee. Some things have changed since then, but the most important things haven’t.

Beth Ann and I left full of peace, knowing what’s in front of Riley for the next four years and beyond. We knew because of what happened for us here in this special place.

That knowledge brought huge joy to our hearts – even as we wiped away a few tears. 

– CRAIG FISHER (’92)

Assistant Vice President for Alumni and University Relations

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Henry David Racca, son of Wesley (’13) and Holly (Howard ’13) Racca of Abilene, Texas, cheers for the home team at Wildcat Stadium.

BORN TO BE A WILDCAT The Alumni Association will send a FREE Wildcat BabyWear T-shirt (12-month size) to the alumni parents of each newborn or adopted infant in your family!

Complete the EXperiences news card and mail it to us, or complete the info online at blogs.acu.edu/acutoday/experiences.

In-focus, high-resolution digital images (minimum file size of 500kb; use your camera’s highest quality setting) of alumni children wearing their Wildcat BabyWear should be emailed to babywear@acu.edu. Call 800-373-4220 for more information.

Margaux Vera Noelle Crowley, daughter of Greg and Jamie (Shelburne ’07) Crowley of Amarillo, Texas.

Cora Olive Polidor, daughter of Parker and Allison (Wright ’05) Polidor of Nashville, Tennessee.

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Noelle Reynolds Sanderson, daughter of Murray and Jaime (Bond ’98) Sanderson of Hendersonville, Tennessee.

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Luke Hoskins, son of Garrett and Jennifer (Rasco ’09) Hoskins of Abilene, Texas.

Devin Carter, son of Adam (’07) and Melissa (McGlothlin ’06) Carter of Arlington, Texas.

Lane Lawson, son of Barrett (’10) and Celina (Wilson ’10) Lawson of Houston, Texas.

Liam Chase Fall, son of Chris (’05) and Danielle (Chase ’07) Fall of San Antonio, Texas.

Rudy Jameson Navarro, son of Jonathan (’08) and Valerie (Goode ’07) Navarro of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Abigail (left) and Elizabeth Hamlin, daughters of Dan and Cara (Cowan ’02) Hamlin of Round Rock, Texas.

Reid Joseph Baker, son of Joseph and Blair (Barkley ’04) Baker of Coppell, Texas.

Caedmon Luongo, son of Josh (’09) and Amber (Wiard ’06) Luongo of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Logan Wilson, son of Kyle (’09) and Oriana (Gonzalez ’11) Wilson of Leander, Texas.

Everett Foy Matthews, son of Adam (’11 M.A.C.M.) and Anna (Isenhower ’08) Matthews of Brighton, Michigan.

Theodore “Teddy” Bruce Browning, son of Adam (’10) and Aubree (Selinger ’14) Browning of Dallas, Texas.

Abilene Faith Stephenson, daughter of Chris (’10) and Katie (Jones ’09) Stephenson of Vero Beach, Florida.

Ivy Hadassah Burke, daughter of Glen and Kristi (Lippert ’06) Burke of Nashville, Tennessee.

London, Nalachi and Nigel Bass, sons of Dr. Ben and Anne (Killion ’01) Bass of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

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ACU NEWSMAKERS LILY LIM

Fred J. Allen (’76) retired at the end of the 2018 spring semester after 24 years as director of bands at Stephen F. Austin University.

Allen was professor of music, associate director of bands (1987-90) and director of bands (1990-1994) at ACU. Tracy (Booker ’02) Gray ran unopposed in November 2018 for County Court Judge in Kaufman County, Texas. She lost the Republican primary election in March by one vote,

Tim Davis (’89) was elected mayor of Temple, Texas, in May 2018. He had served on the Temple City Council since 2013.

John Carroll (’77) received the Texas Bandmasters Association 2018 Meritorious Achievement Award in July 2018 in San Antonio.

Carroll has been associate band director at Odessa Permian High School for 23 years.

Vista Ridge High School (Leander ISD in Cedar Park, Texas), was chosen by the John Philip Sousa Foundation to receive the Sudler Shield, an international award recognizing high school, youth and international marching bands of world-class excellence. Vista Ridge’s Ranger Band, directed by Bryan Christian (’89), won Christian the 2018 Texas 6A Marching Band Contest on Nov. 4 in San Antonio. Christian earned his degree from ACU in music education, a master’s from Stephen F. Austin State and has been

JOSHUA VODA / NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN

Dr. Joe Shirley (’73), recipient of ACU’s Distinguished Alumni Citation in 2007, finished runner-up for the Navajo Nation presidency in its November 2018 election. Shirley is the

U.S. Air Force (ret.) Lt. Gen. Ronnie Hawkins Jr. (’85 M.S.) and his wife, Maria, were honored in January 2019 as San Angelo (Texas) Citizens of the Year at the annual Chamber of Commerce banquet.

The couple founded Ezra Visions Ministries, which began helping Haitians displaced by a major earthquake in 2010. Hawkins is former director of the Hawkins Defense Information Systems Agency and commander of Joint Force Headquarters – Department of Defense Information Networks.

contested the outcome and won a court battle for another election in July, which she won. Her attorney was Elizabeth (Alvarez ’05) Bingham, vice chair of the Dallas County Republican Party.

PHOTO TEXAS

ACU board chair April (Bullock ’89) Anthony received the Lillian Wald Award from the Visiting Nurse Service of New York at its 125th gala in New York City in November 2018. The prestigious award, named for VNSNY founder and public health pioneer Wald, recognizes significant contributions to the health and welfare of others. Last year VNSNY served more than 135,000 patients with one million-plus clinical visits, providing care for those who are underinsured.

only Navajo to serve two terms as its president (2003-11), and was running for a third.

U.S. AIR FORCE

Jasmin Richardson (’09) made her Broadway debut Aug. 13, 2018, in the ensemble of Gettin’ the Band Back Together, a musical comedy at Belasco Theatre in New York Richardson City. ACU Theatre alumni performing on national tours include Eean Cochran (’15) as Philip in Hamilton and Joshua Alexander (’17) as Fyedka in Fiddler on the Roof.

Joshua Hinson (’01) was featured July 17-19, 2018, in a live exhibition of wood carving at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian – New York, the George Gustav Heye Center in the historic Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House in lower Manhattan. Also known as Lokosh in the Chickasaw language, Hinson lives and works in Ada, Oklahoma, the seat of government for the Chickasaw Nation.

He works with the Chickasaw Language Revitalization Program while

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studying for a doctorate in Native Language Revitalization at the University of Oklahoma. In summer 2018, Visual Voices, an exhibition of contemporary Chickasaw art at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at Oklahoma University, featured Hinson’s work in an exhibition that toured the U.S. before traveling to Europe. Hinson earned a B.F.A. degree at ACU and Master of Arts in Native American art history from the University of New Mexico.

TPWF / JONATHAN VAIL

administrator was previously the assistant superintendent of Cornerstone Christian School in San Antonio, Texas, and earned an M.Ed. from ACU in 1998.

Rachel (Wharton ’13) Carlisle was recognized as Abilene (Texas) Education Foundation’s 2018 Elementary Teacher of the Year for her work at Lee Elementary School.

BRIAN COATS

Renowned cardiologist John J. Warner, M.D. (’87), vice president and CEO for university hospitals and clinics at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, was named its executive vice president for health systems affairs. He will oversee the medical center’s clinical health operations, including the medical group Warner practice delivering care in about 80 specialties to more than 100,000 hospitalized patients, 600,000 emergency room patients, and approximately 2.2 million outpatients a year. He was president of the American Heart Association for 2017-18.

Stephanie (Key ’97) Miller, a music teacher at Skyview Elementary School in the Richardson (Texas) ISD, received the H-E-B Excellence in Education Award from among five statewide finalists May 6, 2018, in Houston. Winning recognition in the Leadership Elementary category spotlights a teacher with 10-20 years of experience and carries a $10,000 award.

Steven Woods (’84) has been named superintendent/principal of the Days Creek (Oregon) Charter School. The veteran school

STEVE BUTMAN

John Whitwell (’65), ACU’s director of bands from 1981-87, received the National Band Association (NBA) AWAPA award during the NBA General Membership meeting at the 2018 Midwest Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. The AWAPA award recognizes individuals who have made truly significant and outstanding contributions to furthering the excellence of bands and of band music. Whitwell is director of bands emeritus at Michigan State University.

Wendy (Mitchell ’95) Weeks, award-winning director of choirs at Abilene (Texas) High School, was the 2018 recipient of the Morlan Medal Award from ACU’s Department of Teacher Education. Her career in the Abilene ISD has spanned 22 years: assistant choral director at Cooper High School, music teacher at College Heights and Weeks Jackson elementary schools, choral director at Craig Middle School and AHS choral director since 2017. Her choirs have twice performed at the Texas Music Educators Association annual conference.

Randy Pittenger (’80), Belton (Texas) ISD school board president and Area 4 trustee, received the Beltonian of the Year award from the Belton Chamber of Commerce at the organization’s annual awards event Jan. 11, 2018.

Kirk Jessup (’97), AgriLife Research senior research associate in Amarillo, Texas, has been awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Award of Excellence for technical and programmatic staff at Texas A&M University. The awards program recognizes the commitment and outstanding contributions of faculty and staff across Texas A&M AgriLife.

Former ACU football and track and field standout Stacy Brown (’97) was inducted to the 2017 Hillsboro (Texas) ISD Athletic Hall of Fame. Brown starred in three sports for the Eagles, and set the school record in the long and triple jump.

David Ramsey (’80) of the Colorado Springs Gazette was honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors for column writing for the second straight year. The 2018 award recognized

MARK REIS

director of bands since VRHS opened 13 years ago.

“We Will Not Be Tamed,” a campaign from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, features former ACU football letterman Leon McNeil (’93).

McNeil (right) left behind a rough childhood in San Antonio and came to Abilene, where friends introduced him to the world of hunting and fishing.

Today, he and his wife, Letecia, run City Kids Adventures, a San Antonio nonprofit that introduces urban kids to outdoor experiences. He was a recipient of ACU’s 2012 Distinguished Alumni Citation. Also featured in the TPWF campaign is Jordan Shipley, son of Bob (’84) and Sharon (Felts ’92) Shipley.

Learn more about TPWF at wewillnotbetamed.org

the 10 best columnists for newspapers with a circulation between 30-75,000.

He has won 12 times in the national APSE contest, including two first-place finishes.

Ramsey has covered Ramsey the Athens, Beijing, London, Sochi and Rio Olympics for The Gazette.

Dr. Foy Mills Jr., former professor and chair of agricultural and environmental sciences at ACU (1989-2012), has been named provost and chief academic officer at Lubbock Christian University, his alma mater. Mills had been professor of agribusiness at Sam Houston State University since 2012.

Conrad Hester (’05) was named a partner in the Fort Worth, Texas, law firm of Thompson & Knight LLP. As Far As the Eye Can See, an independent film written by Paden Fallis (’99), was named Best Texas Film at the 2017 Texas Film Festival.

Charles Holton, J.D. (’70) was featured in Duke Today, the online magazine of Duke University. Holton is a clinical professor of law and director of the Civil Justice Clinic at Duke Law School.

State Rep. Travis Clardy (’84) and State Rep. Stan Lambert (’74) were re-elected in November 2018. Clardy represents Texas District 11, which includes Nacogdoches, and Lambert represents District 71, which includes Abilene. Previous state representatives serving District 71 include Drs. Bob Hunter (’52) and the late Gary Thompson (’60). Clardy received the 2019 Legislator of the Year award from the Deep East Texas Council of Governments and County Commissioners and Judges Association in a Jan. 7 event in Austin, Texas.

Sam Vinson (’06) was among the first members of the Governor’s Committee to Support the Military. Appointed by Texas (Continued on page 86)

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SERVING YOU ADVANCING ACU Do you want to recommend a future student, volunteer, host an event or just learn more about how you can be involved with ACU where you live? To help foster relationships with alumni and future students, ACU has assigned personnel from its Admissions and Advancement offices to major markets in Texas as well as Nashville, Tennessee. An admissions counselor (AC) reaches out to future students and their parents, and an advancement officer (AO) assists prospective donors seeking an opportunity to contribute funds to ACU. Through this territory team approach, these dedicated professionals can provide exceptional service to those who contribute so graciously to ACU’s mission and 21st-Century Vision.

ABILENE AND THE BIG COUNTRY

Brittany Lewis • AC • 325-674-2814, brittanyl@acu.edu Anthony Williams • AO • 325-829-4328, williamsa@acu.edu

WEST TEXAS AREA

John Mark Moudy • Senior AC (Amarillo, Midland, Odessa) 325-674-2869, johnmarkm@acu.edu Anthony Williams • AO • 325-829-4328, williamsa@acu.edu

AUSTIN AREA

Tunisia Singleton • Senior AC (Austin / Central Texas) 325-674-6157, tunisias@acu.edu Garrison Powell • AC (Austin / Central Texas) 325-674-2545, garrisonp@acu.edu Charles Gaines • AO • 512-713-0067, charles.gaines@acu.edu

FORT WORTH AREA

Jacob Groves • Senior AC (Erath, Hood, Johnson, Palo Pinto, Parker, Somervell, Tarrant counties) • 325-674-2687, jacobg@acu.edu Peter Zeller • AC (Erath, Hood, Johnson, Palo Pinto, Parker, Somervell, Tarrant counties) • 325-674-2588, peterz@acu.edu Abigail McClellan • AC (Collin, Denton, Wise counties) 325-674-2504, abigailm@acu.edu Nino Elliott • AO • 817-845-2260, nino.elliott@acu.edu

DALLAS AREA

Abigail McClellan • AC (Collin county) 325-674-2504, abigailm@acu.edu Hannah Davis • AC (Dallas, Rockwall, Ellis, Kaufman counties) 325-674-2877, hannahd@acu.edu Macy McAlister • AC (Dallas, Rockwall, Ellis, Kaufman counties and Oklahoma) • 325-674-4875, macym@acu.edu Don Garrett • AO • 325-674-2213, don.garrett@acu.edu

HOUSTON AREA

Jaquelyn Loya • AC • 325-674-6147, jaquelynl@acu.edu Megan Fridge • AC • 325-674-2654, meganf@acu.edu Eric Fridge • AO • 713-483-4004, eric.fridge@acu.edu

SAN ANTONIO AREA

Jesse Luna • AC (San Antonio / South Texas) 325-674-2807, jessel@acu.edu Sean Anderson • AC (San Antonio / South Texas) 325-674-6916, seana@acu.edu Charles Gaines • AO • 512-713-0067, charles.gaines@acu.edu

Young alums preach perseverance, optimism to undergrads in career networking forum If there’s one thing Morgan (Watten ’15) Morgan wants ACU students to know about their eventual career path, it’s this: “It’s not going to look the way you think it will,” she said, “but it’s going to turn out great.”

Morgan shared this bit of advice along with six other alums who returned to campus in November 2018 for a Young Alumni Forum and Networking Reception, sponsored by the Alumni Association and Student Alumni Association (SAA). There, students were able to listen to and meet alumni who have graduated within the past 10 or so years and learn tips about networking, interviewing and navigating post-college life.

“We wanted to provide a space for students to connect with alumni who are still in the early years of their careers and are relatable,” said Mandy (Becker ’13) Collum, alumni relations officer. “Students can easily see themselves in young alumni and get an idea for what their future could hold. This also was a great way for young alumni to get involved with the university and current students.”

Micaela Janssen, senior kinesiology major from Brentwood, Tennessee, helped coordinate the event with SAA and found the panelists’ answers helpful, such as how to use social media to find a job.

“I appreciated the reminder that we must keep learning, even after we stop attending classes,” she said. “It’s also good to know that doing the work no one else wants to do will pay off in the end. Bosses recognize hard work, and it’s important to establish yourself when starting a career.”

That was another of the lessons imparted by Morgan, who works as an executive assistant for Magnolia in Waco, Texas.

“I told students, always do the things that nobody else wants to do,” Morgan said. “Take on the projects that Panelists on stage at the Young Alumni Forum and Networking Reception featured (from left): Andrew Harmon ('09), Morgan (Watten '15) Morgan, Josh McQueen ('12), Jesiree (Guerrero '06) Driskell, Joey Hopkins ('10), Amber (Cardot '05) Davies, and Josh Hardcastle ('13).

NASHVILLE AREA / EASTERN U.S.

Jason White • AC (Eastern U.S.) • 325-674-2663, jasonw@acu.edu Mark Meador • AO (Nashville) • 615-815-4360, meadorm@acu.edu

WESTERN U.S.

John Mark Moudy • Senior AC (Western U.S.) • 325-674-2869, johnmarkm@acu.edu Jesse Luna • AC (West Coast) • 325-674-2807, jessel@acu.edu MANDY COLLUM

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Morgan is an executive assistant at Magnolia in Waco, Texas.

KIM LEESON

scare you. When you have that mentality, whether it’s staying late, picking up trash, etc., that’s how you succeed.”

“My personal success has come from those situations when I would step outside my comfort zone, take on an unfamiliar task and ultimately just figure things out,” she said. “That’s how I am able to show I’m proactive and resourceful – you can trust me to tackle the next project.”

Another panelist, Joey Hopkins (’10), relayed a similar message: “Think outside the box.” The executive director of Habitat for Humanity in Midland, Texas, got his start as a landman in the oil and gas industry, but he and his wife, Lauren (Baker ’09), always had a love of real estate. They started buying and flipping houses as a side business, and when a friend recommended he apply for the Habitat position, he realized it was a perfect fit.

Now, he helps make home ownership possible for people in his community.

“It’s all about putting your faith into action,” Hopkins said. “What we do with real estate is not necessarily a spiritual gift, but it’s something I feel like God has blessed us with. I had prayed for an opportunity to do something with this talent. Thinking outside the box helped me start these businesses, and that is ultimately what segued into my current career, which is really fulfilling.”

Morgan earned a degree in psychology and went straight to graduate school. She soon realized that path wasn’t for her, so she looked for any type of job to help her and her husband, Zeke Morgan (’15), get by while he

continued his education. She started at Magnolia Market (famous thanks to owners Chip and Joanna Gaines’ HGTV show Fixer Upper) as a part-time sales associate, stocking shelves and interacting with guests. That foundation opened up career possibilities. She soon worked her way up to a manager-level position at the Market, taking on a role at Magnolia’s corporate offices, where she helped establish the company’s culture department.

“What I needed was to ‘fall forward,’ to jump into a career and make some mistakes,” she said. “I had a hard time with the fact that I didn’t know what I wanted to do – that’s the number one question you’re asked while in college. A big thing I tell students is, it’s perfectly OK to not know what you want to do, to go out and get a job in an area you’re interested in, and learn new things.

Then, pick a direction. The expectation shouldn’t be that you’ll land your dream job right away.”

“It’s possible you’ll realize you don’t know exactly what you’re doing and that’s OK,” she said, “because people are going to help you along the way.” 

– SARAH CARLSON

YOUNG ALUMNI EVENTS

Interested in helping host a Young Alumni event in your area, or in getting involved in other ways? Reach out to the Alumni Relations Office at alumni@acu.edu. You also can find Young Alumni events and updates at acu.edu/youngalumni.

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PURPLE PEOPLE Whether flashing the WC, handing out hugs or simply enjoying time together, Wildcats gather on campus and around the world to share their stories and celebrate their common love for each other and for ACU. Here are just a few images we’ve saved since our last issue. Share others with us at acutoday@acu.edu.

PAUL WHITE

ERINN SPACK

PAUL WHITE

FROM LEFT: 2018 Alumni Advisory Board chair Taylor Tidmore, M.D. (’99), and his wife, Heather (Watts ’99), present a check for $11.17 million to vice president for advancement Jim Orr, J.D. (’86), and president Dr. Phil Schubert (’91) on Oct. 13 at Homecoming Chapel.

Taylor is president of the Alumni Advisory Board.

Drs. Tonya Sawyer-McGee (left) and ACU School of Nursing dean Dr. Becky Hammack (right), pose with five of the first students to earn Doctor of Nurse Practitioner degrees from the university at 2018 December Commencement: Drs. Monique Moseley, Joyce Smith, Catherine Northrup, Latonia Trawick and Taron Peebles. The five also were the first to wear new doctoral regalia designed for Abilene Christian graduates.

Sawyer-McGee is D.N.P. program director.

1) FROM LEFT: New inductees to the ACU Sports Hall of Fame were honored Oct. 13, 2018, at Homecoming: Johnny Knox (’12), Bernard Scott (’10), Billy Malone (’10), Nicodemus Naimadu (’09), Dr. Michelle Bernhardt-Barry (’07), Carl Brown and Phil Martin (’73).

Brown, grandson of the late Dr. JW Roberts (’42), represented his grandfather, who was the recipient of the hall's Lifetime Achievement Award. Not pictured: Savieri Ngidhi (’95) and the late Marlene Lewis (’89), and Jim Womack Award winners Dr. David Wray (’67) and Dr. David Wallace (’72).

KIM LEESON

2) ACU men's basketball coach Joe Golding (’99) threw the ceremonial first pitch June 4, 2019, on ACU Night at the Ballpark. He was joined on the field at Globe Life Park by his wife, Amanda, and sons Chase (left) and Cason (right). The Texas Rangers hosted the Baltimore Orioles.

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3) FROM LEFT: Alumni among those covering the 100th PGA Championship in August 2018 at the Bellerive Country Club near St. Louis, Missouri: Doug Ferguson (’83), Associated Press golf writer; Grant Boone (’91), announcer for CBS Sports; Lance Barrow (’77), coordinating producer of golf for CBS Sports; Mary Kate Rotenberry (’17), CBS Sports production assistant; and Morgan Johnson (’13), PGA Tour network graphics coordinator. Barrow also is an ACU trustee.

KIM LEESON PAUL WHITE JEREMY ENLOW

4) FROM LEFT: Among those who heard former U.S. First Lady Laura Bush present at the Friends of the ACU Library Spring Banquet on March 28, 2019, were Audrey (Pope ’85) Stevens and her daughter, Lauren (Stevens ’11) Quary. Quary is former manager of internal communications for the Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas.

5) FROM LEFT: Kash Roberts, Dr. Koy Roberts (’93), Sarah Reynolds, Garner Roberts (’70) and Reese Roberts were among fans attending the ACU vs. Baylor football pregame party, sponsored by the Alumni Association, Sept. 1, 2018, at the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in Waco, Texas.

JEREMY ENLOW

6) Three members of one Abilene family – 56-year-old dad Scott McGaha (’85) and his son, Jesse McGaha (’15), and his daughter, Whitney McGaha, O.D. (’11) – played in the basketball band that accompanied the Wildcat women’s team to their March 23, 2019, first-round NCAA Tournament game with Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

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(Continued from page 81) Gov. Greg Abbott, Vinson also is a member of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce’s Military Affairs Committee and Government Affairs Committee. Vinson lives in Abilene and has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accountancy from ACU. SERGIO LOES

Bobby Griffin (’90), CBRE Group’s vice president for diversity and inclusion, has been named to the 2018 Black Enterprise magazine list of Top Executives in Corporate Diversity.

CBRE Group, a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is one of the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firms.

Dr. Tim Jackson (’86) has been named president of the International Association for Food Protection. He is vice president of food safety, regulatory compliance and social compliance for Driscoll’s of the Americas, a leading producer of fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries.

Jackson has more than 25 years of experience in industrial, research and regulatory food microbiology, food safety and quality management, including 20 years at Nestlé, where he was director of food safety for U.S. and Canadian operations.

Dr. Merlin Mann, former assistant professor of journalism and mass communication at ACU (1981-2007) and at Arkansas Tech University (2012-18), won the Journalism Educator Award from the Arkansas Press Association on June 29, 2018.

USA FOOTBALL

ACU trustee Steve Mack (’82), CEO of Texas Heritage Bank in Boerne, Texas, is profiled in the December 2018 issue of Texas Banking magazine.

CentroMed, an integrated medical services provider in San Antonio and Bexar County, Texas, dedicated its new Berto Guerra Jr. Clinic in December 2018. Its namesake is former ACU trustee Guerra, a local business leader who is chair and CEO of Avanzar Interior Technologies.

He is board chair of the San Antonio Water System and first vice chair of CentroMed. Dr. Barry Perryman (’79) has been selected by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management for a position on its ninemember National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board. Perryman is professor of rangeland ecology and management at the University of Nevada-Reno. He earned his bachelor’s in agronomy and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wyoming.

Allen Wilson (’75), who led teams to state football championships in 1988 and 1994, was inducted July 21, 2018, to the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor. He compiled a 246-90-4 record and 22 trips to the playoffs (14 district titles) in 28 years at Paris, Tyler John Tyler and Dallas Carter high schools. Wilson, a former Wildcat football letterman, was inducted to the 1995-96 class of the ACU Sports Hall of Fame.

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Cecil Eager (’70) was inducted Oct. 20, 2018, to the Clyde (Texas) High School Wall of Honor.

The ACU trustee graduated from CHS in 1967 and went on to a successful teaching and coaching career, including serving as head men’s and women’s tennis coach and director of athletics at Abilene Christian.

Nelson Coates (’84) was production designer for Crazy Rich Asians, the comedy that won Best Contemporary Film at the 23rd annual Art Directors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, California. Other finalists were A Quiet Place, A Star Is Born, Mission: Impossible - Fallout and Welcome to Marwen. ADG Awards recognize film, TV, commercials and music videos for their excellence in production design. Coates is president of the guild’s Board of Directors.

TEXAS MEDICINE

Bryant Stavely (’69) of Coppell, Texas, won men’s Best Lifter for his age group (70-74) at the IWF (International Weightlifting Federation) World Masters Weightlifting Stavely Championships in August 2018 in Barcelona, Spain. Stavely, 71, beat competitors in his group from Japan, Great Britain and the Netherlands.

Brad Gautney (’91), founder and president of Global Health Innovations, received the United Nations 2018 World Citizen Award (Greater Kansas City Chapter) for his work on HIV/AIDS projects in Haiti and southern Africa.

He was honored Oct. 22, 2018, at the 47th annual Mayor’s UN Day Dinner in Kansas City, Missouri.

Dan Powell, M.D. (’87), was featured in “Front Line: Using Primary Care to Prevent Suicide,” the cover story of the November 2018 issue of Texas Medicine magazine. Powell, who is married to Lisa (Gomez ’89) Powell, is a family physician in San Antonio. Their 22-year-old son, Landon Powell (’17), took his own life in 2016. “I still keep family photos in the exam room,” Dan told Texas Medicine while describing his own openness with patients who struggle with emotional wellness.

“They’re a good lead-in for being able to talk about mental health and how it’s affected our family and how we lost our son. I think that opens up communication, number one. And if they’re comfortable talking to you, they’re going to be more likely to talk to you. I think for me that’s something that’s opening some doors.”

Andrew Babcock (’99) is the new executive director of fine arts for the Lubbock (Texas) ISD. He has served as the assistant director of fine arts in the district since 2015 and previously was director of bands at Lubbock Christian University (2009-15).

The U.S. Senate approved President Donald Trump’s nomination of Matthew Kacsmaryk, J.D. (’99) and Brantly Starr, J.D. (’01) to fill vacancies on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Kacsmaryk is deputy general counsel to First Liberty Institute, where his practice focuses on religious liberty litigation in federal courts and amicus briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court. From 2008-13, he served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Texas. In 2013, Kacsmaryk received the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security. He

earned his juris doctor degree with honors from The University of Texas School of Law in 2003. After graduating from The University of Texas School of Law, Starr clerked for Texas Supreme Court justice Don Willett, then served as the state’s assistant solicitor general. Starr practiced commercial and appellate litigation at King & Spalding, L.L.P., and as staff attorney to Texas Supreme Court justice Eva Guzman.

He has been serving as Texas’ deputy first assistant attorney general.

Beth Balfour Reeves (’80), who earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from ACU, was named full-time chaplain for the Abilene Police Department. Local churches are paying for the first three years of her salary.

The Colleyville (Texas) Heritage High School girl’s basketball team coached by Dianna (Reynolds ’89) Sager lost in the first round of the 2019 state basketball playoffs but reached the tournament for the 15th time in 17 years. Sager’s Lady Panthers team rallied around her after she underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor in April 2018.

PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY

Former ACU quarterback Jim Gash (’89) was named the eighth president and CEO of Pepperdine University. He was previously associate dean for strategic planning and external relations, and professor of law at Pepperdine’s School of Law, where he earned a juris doctor Gash degree in 1993.

Melissa Rotholz (’09) was selected as the 2018 Woman of Excellence by the Women Empowering Women Express Network of the American Business Women’s Association for her work with Shield Bearer, a non-profit dedicated to hope and healing for people in crisis.

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY

Wes Kittley (’81) was named National Men’s Outdoor Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association after his Texas Tech University men’s team won the NCAA Division I national title June 7, 2018, in Austin, Texas. Kittley’s ACU track and Kittley field teams won 29 Division II national championships from 1983-99.

ADOPTED

By Chad and Ashley (Spessard ’02) Baker, a girl, Ally Joy, and a boy, Clayton Joshua. Ally Joy was born Oct. 7, 2015, and Clayton Joshua was born Feb. 23, 2018. They have two other children and live in Sugar Land, Texas.

By Patrick and Darla (Henry) Mullins, a boy, Kai Gavyn, in June 2018. They have three other boys and live in Sherman, Texas, where Darla is an assistant principal in the Sherman ISD.

2001

Russ and Elisabeth (Goldwater) Conser, M.D., live in Lubbock, Texas, where she is a pediatrician at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. They have two children, Eleanor and Henry.

Doug Fudge was named president and CEO of Fudge Insurance. He and his wife, Breck, live in Winter Springs, Florida.

BORN

To Benjamin and Ann (Killion) Bass, triplets: boys Malachi and Nigel, and a girl, London, Nov. 20, 2017. They live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

ADOPTED

By Sean and Julie (Green) Wehrly, a boy, John Lewis, Sept. 8, 2017. He was born June 17, 2017. They live in Amarillo, Texas.

2002

Jon and Gail (Rodgers) Toy live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Jon is co-owner of Fastsigns in York, Pennsylvania.

ADOPTED

By Chad and Jennifer (Thigpen) Brackeen, a boy, Leo Zachary, Jan. 8, 2018. He was born Aug. 28, 2015. They have two other sons and live in Burleson, Texas.

BORN

To Dan and Cara (Cowan) Hamlin, a girl, Abigail, Aug. 1, 2017. They live in Round Rock, Texas.

To Jonathan and Lisa Harshman, a girl, Anna Elise, Feb. 18, 2017. Jonathan is an issues and reputation advisor for Chevron U.S.A. Inc. They live in Bakersfield, California.

To Jason and Betsy Hooper, a girl, Elizabeth “Ellie” Anne, Sept. 21, 2018. Jason is a principal in the Callisburg (Texas) ISD. They live in Whitesboro, Texas.

To Matthew and Dr. Christiana (Worley ’00) Peterson, a boy, Isaac, June 22, 2017.

They have three other children and live in Columbiana, Ohio, where Matthew is pastor of Midway Mennonite Church. Christiana’s book, Mystics and Misfits: Meeting God Through St. Francis and Other Unlikely Saints, was published by Herald Press. (See page 52.)

To Scott and M’Lea (Leavell) Coco, a boy, Carsen Scott, July 11, 2018. Scott is founder and CEO of Coco Oilfield Solutions. They live in Abilene, Texas.

2003

Bryon and Tiffany (Youngblood) Caldwell moved in April 2017 to London, England. They adopted London Kaylan on Dec. 16, 2016.

She was born Aug. 27, 2016. Bryon is an

animator for Industrial Light & Magic.

Jared and Diane (Wakley) Lee live in Midland, Texas. Jared has been named superintendent of Midland Christian School, and Stephanie became a partner in the law firm of Cotton Bledsoe Tighe & Dawson PC. Casey Kelley earned a Master of Public Affairs degree from The University of Texas at Austin and has been named director of government affairs for west and south at Exelon Corporation. His wife, Emily, is an optometrist for Master Eye Associates.

They live in Austin, Texas.

BORN

To Ryan and Dawn (Bailey) Thuston, a boy, Benjamin Thad, May 16, 2017.

Dawn is a corporate meeting and event planner for Carlson Wagonlit Travel.

They live in Houston, Texas.

To Todd and Erin (Norton ’04) Faubus, a girl, Sadie Ruth, Sept. 20, 2017. They live in Benton, Arkansas.

ADOPTED

By Donny and Carissa (Spatz) Ott, a girl, Haven Rae, Sept. 28, 2018. She was born Aug. 15, 2015. They have another daughter.

Donny is a teacher/coach, and Carissa is a special education teacher, both in the Leander ISD. They live in Leander, Texas.

2004

Cole and Allyson Young have three children and live in Franklin, Tennessee, where he is worship arts pastor for Franklin Christian Church.

MARRIED

Michael Schlegel and Janet Singleton, June 9, 2018. They live in Fate, Texas.

BORN

To Joseph and Blair (Barkley) Baker, a boy, Reid Joseph, May 14, 2018. They live in Coppell, Texas.

To Rance and Stacy Bland, a girl, Cortlynn Maureen, Oct. 4, 2018. Rance is global director for SportQuest Ministries. They also have a son and live in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

To Josh and Kathleen Canada, twin boys, Dawson Joshua and Jase Evatt, Dec. 27, 2017.

Josh is a division manager for Bridgestone.

They live in Baird, Texas.

To Cody and Chez (Parker) Dishman, a boy, Ezra James, May 21, 2018. They live in Cedar Park, Texas.

To Clay and Kristin Hunt, a boy, Lux, Sept.

9, 2018. Clay is president and CEO of Oso Perforating. They have two other daughters and live in Bedford, Texas.

2005 BORN

To Alex Castro and Whitney LeiningerCastro (’09), a boy, Asher Cainan Leininger, Nov. 28, 2017. They also have a daughter, Adelyne Willow Leininger, and live in Houston, Texas.

To Michael Gilly, M.D., and Autumn (Ware ’06) Gilly, a girl, Emily Margaret, May 8, 2017. Michael is a physician for U.S.

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Anesthesia Partners. They have two other daughters and live in Allen, Texas.

To Benjamin and Paige (Weed) Hester, a girl, Lucille “Lucy,” April 7, 2018. They live in Pflugerville, Texas.

To Lyle Workman, M.D., and Jo Anna (Nangauta) Workman, twin girls, Addisen and Isabella, Aug. 6, 2018. They have five other children, including Blaine, Lathan and Trinity, whom they adopted in 2014. Lyle is a pediatrician and they live in Keller, Texas.

To Cameron and Heidi (Kopf ’07) Witte, a girl, Samantha Quinn, Aug. 2, 2018. They live at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.

To Glen and Kristi (Lippert) Burke, a girl, Ivy Hadassah, April 19, 2017. They live in Old Hickory, Tennessee.

To Craig and Macy Dennis, a girl, Indy Haloka, July 10, 2017. They live in Van Alstyne, Texas, where Craig is the new principal of Van Alstyne High School.

ADOPTED

By Johnny and Emily (Vaughn) Park, a girl, Callie Frances, born Jan. 2, 2018. Johnny is a recruiter for Questpro, and Emily teaches second grade at Tibbals Elementary in the Wylie (Texas) ISD. They live in Sachse, Texas.

2006

MARRIED

Jerry Kho and Julianne Batts, Sept. 9, 2017.

They live in Houston, Texas, where she is an administrative assistant at Houston’s First Baptist Church.

BORN

To Justin and Sindi Barker, a girl, Eisley Camille, July 4, 2018. They live in Tomball, Texas.

To Adam and Dani (Linthicum) Nichols, a boy, Isaiah Charles, Oct. 8, 2017. They also have a daughter, Adelay Joy. They live in Bend, Oregon.

To A.J. and Maryrose Smith, a girl, Emilina Smoke, Sept. 21, 2017. A.J. is CTO/partner for New Texas Investments. They live in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

To Chris and Sara (Ballard) Armstrong, a boy, Brady Dale, Dec. 15, 2017. They live in Combine, Texas.

To Brock and Whitney (Burham) Bejcek, a girl, Karleigh, Jan. 6, 2018. Brock works for Texas Health and Whitney works for Baylor Grapevine. They live in Bedford, Texas.

2007 BORN

To Jeremy and Katie Lee (Rich ’10) Gudgel, a girl, Hannah Marie, Nov. 12, 2017. Jeremy is an IT security principal for Sabre. They live in Carrollton, Texas.

To Adam and Melissa (McGlothlin ’06) Carter, a boy, Devin, June 15, 2016. They live in Arlington, Texas.

To Bryson and Aundi (Brown ’09) Allen, a girl, Landry Kate, Oct. 25, 2017. They live in McKinney, Texas.

To Aaron and Loraine (Salazar) Clark, a boy, Caden Clark, Nov. 2, 2017. Aaron is an

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insurance adjuster, and Loraine is director of program management for PFSweb. They live in McKinney, Texas.

2008

Scott Gross is an autism specialist with the Issaquah (Washington) School District.

He lives in Auburn, Washington.

Matthew and Cyndi (Elizondo) Horton have two children and live in Abilene, Texas. Matthew is a supervisor for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

BORN

To Derek and Mary Straker, a girl, Emmaline Quinn, Feb. 15, 2017. They have another daughter, Elsie Irene, and live in Ridgefield, Washington.

To Chris and Brooke (Holland) Woodrow, a boy, Luke Christopher, Oct. 5, 2017. Chris is worship and spiritual formation minister for Belton (Texas) Church of Christ, and Brooke is a Licensed Professional Counselor. They live in Sherman, Texas.

To Barrett and Heather Boone, twin girls, Aslan Michelle and Selah Alexandra, Dec. 26, 2017. Barrett is branch manager for Chemcore Industries Inc. They live in Irvine, California.

To Jason and Josie (Shepherd) Harley, a girl, Harper Rose, March 5, 2018. They live in Richmond, Texas.

To Jordan and Mallory (Knight ’09) Williams, a girl, Macy Taylor, March 13, 2018.

Jordan is CEO for Captured Dimensions, and Mallory is a teacher for Greenville Oaks Christian Preschool. They live in Allen, Texas.

2009

Ben and Mary Elizabeth (Shive ’13) Reeves live in North Richland Hills, Texas. He works for Lockheed Martin.

MARRIED

Robert McCall and Morgan Wilks, April 21, 2018. He is a senior customer success manager for EZLinks Golf, and she is a sales support supervisor for Boundless Network.

They live in Austin, Texas.

BORN

To Bryan and Amy (Cullers) Stewart, a girl, Claire Belen, Sept. 12, 2017. They live in Lubbock, Texas.

To Kyle and Oriana (Gonzalez ’11) Wilson, a boy, Logan Randall, Dec. 13, 2017. Kyle teaches science at Leander Middle School, and Oriana is marketing and communications director for Brentwood Christian School.

They live in Leander, Texas.

To Jordan and Claire (Hardin ’12) Free, a girl, Hazel Joy, Sept. 16, 2018. They live in Nampa, Idaho.

To Jason and Haley (Dilling) Fry, a boy, Levi James, April 16, 2018. Jason is a software engineer for ITPro.TV. They live in Gainesville, Florida.

To Jeremy Miller and Masha Boyle (’11), a boy, Aleksandr Joseph, Feb. 3, 2018.

They live in Dickinson, Texas.

To James and Sara (Bradley ’11) Verheyen, a boy, Daniel, Oct. 18, 2018.

They live in Arlington, Texas.

To Colter and Emily (Nichols) Roskos, twin boys, Hudson David and Bridger James, July 9, 2018. They live in Whitefish, Montana.

To Riley and Geraldine (Cardenas) Wills, a boy, Dakota Thomas, July 2, 2017. They have another son, Walker Jake, and live in Abilene, Texas.

To Joshua and Amber (Wiard ’06) Luongo, a son, Caedmon Brooks, April 19, 2018. They have two other sons and live in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

2010

John Ashinhurst lives in San Antonio, Texas.

MARRIED

Nathanael Roe and Sommerly Simser, June 9, 2018. Sommerly works for Netflix.

They live in North Hollywood, California.

BORN

To Amos and Amanda Hannah Lee (Buchanan) Gutierrez, a girl, Hanna, Sept. 20, 2017. Amanda is an administrative assistant for Recourage Counseling. They live in Abilene, Texas.

To Trevor and Kara (McArthur) McWilliams, a boy, Cooper, Dec. 29, 2017. Trevor is an engineer for Lockheed Martin, and Kara is a math instructional coach for Coppell ISD. They live in Coppell, Texas.

To Chris and Katie (Jones ’09) Stephenson, a girl, Abilene Faith, Feb. 5, 2018. Chris is CEO of Indian River Transit, and Katie is a senior accountant for Medical Data Systems.

To Barrett Lawson, M.D., and Celina (Wilson) Lawson, a boy, Lane, July 22, 2017.

Barrett is a pathologist at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. They live in Houston, Texas.

To Chris and Autumn (Whitaker ’11) Softley, a boy, Trey Grant, July 11, 2018.

Trey is director of athletics and head football coach at Lubbock Christian School. They live in Lubbock, Texas.

2011

Chris and Natalie (Rickard) Pope live in Knoxville, Tennessee.

BORN

To Cody and Christina (Peterson ’12) Duncum, a boy, Sterling Mark, July 5, 2018.

They live in Abilene, Texas.

To Andrew and Sarah (Gallaway) Blazier, a girl, Eloise, April 19, 2018. Sarah is a lesson study facilitator for Region 17 Education Service Center. They live in Lubbock, Texas.

To Logan and Riane (Cochran) Graf, a girl, Rowan, May 4, 2018. They live in Leander, Texas.

To Samuel and Kailey (Miller) Dobbs, a girl, Julia Grace, June 26, 2018. They live in Springtown, Texas.

To John and Brooke (Whitlock ’09) Stephens, a girl, Paisley Bryn, May 21, 2018.

They live in Canyon Lake, Texas.

2012

2013

NetApp, and Sarah is an onboarding specialist for Nasdaq. They live in Keller, Texas.

MARRIED

To Alan and Aubrey (Palmer) Hilligoss, a girl, Autumn Jane, Jan. 8, 2018. They live in Abilene, Texas.

To Wesley and Holly (Howard) Racca, a boy, Henry, Aug. 30, 2017. They live in Abilene, Texas.

To Thomas and Lindsey (Meredith) Scroggins, a girl, Elizabeth, Dec. 23, 2017.

They live in Temple, Texas.

To Austin and Lizzie (Elston) Fleet, a girl, June Elizabeth, Feb. 12, 2018. They live in Cedar Park, Texas.

To Gavin and Lindzie (Henry) Lane, a girl, Zoey Ann, June 25, 2018. Gavin is an attorney with The Zimmerman Law Firm PC. They live in Lorena, Texas.

To Joe and Kelsey (Evans ’09) Wilbanks, a boy, Bennett Allen, Nov. 21, 2018. They live in Temple, Texas.

To Riley and Jillin (Dowdy) Nipper, a boy, Rhett Owen, Sept. 2, 2018. Riley is a web developer for Mary Kay. They live in Rowlett, Texas.

To Brandon and Alex (Martin) Reed, a girl, Annalise, June 9, 2018. They live in Argyle, Texas.

2015

Tim Sipos lives in Temple, Texas.

Adam Tate and Angela Darden (’09), April 7, 2018. Adam is a territory sales manager for Medical Express PSI and Angela is assistant controller for Approach Resources Inc. They live in Fort Worth, Texas.

BORN

To Jeff and Susanna (Dietz) Craig, a boy, Ethan Jay, Jan. 2, 2018. They live in Weatherford, Texas.

To Sean and Nicole Anderson, a girl, Skylar, April 10, 2015. Sean is a new member solutions senior specialist for USAA. They live in San Antonio, Texas.

To Michael and Brinn (Sonnenberg) Maeker, a girl, Mavis, May 17, 2018. Michael is a police officer for the City of Plano, and Brin is an RN for Medical City of Frisco.

They live in Anna, Texas.

To Bryce and Julieanne (Mack) Orr, a boy, Davis Steven, June 28, 2018. They live in North Richland Hills, Texas.

To William and Erin (Warren ’11) Calhoun, a girl, Avery Michelle, May 15, 2018. William is a territory manager for BSN Sports, and Erin is an account executive for Lockton Dunning Benefits.

They live in Cedar Hill, Texas.

To Jeff and Jaime (Metscher ’13) Cawyer, a boy, Merritt Alan, Aug. 9, 2018. Jeff works for Toyota and Jaime works for Switch Creative.

They live in Dallas, Texas.

To Mark and Kelsey (Carroll) Bailey, a girl, Avery Belle, June 6, 2018. Mark is regional manager for Sirius Computer Solutions. They live in San Antonio, Texas.

To Charles Rotenberry, M.D., and Hailey (Clinton) Rotenberry, a boy, Campbell Paul, July 21, 2018. Charles is a resident at Baylor Scott & White Health, and Hailey is marketing director for Chick-fil-A. They live in Temple, Texas.

BORN

2014

BORN

To Joseph and Chelsea (Emberlin ’15) Wrapp, a boy, River Wrapp, Dec. 18, 2017.

They live in Nashville, Texas, where Trey is worship minister for Harpeth Hills Church of Christ.

To Josh and Karlie (Hatchett) Duke, a boy, Sawyer, June 15, 2017. Josh is head boys’ basketball coach and a teacher at Fort Worth Christian School, and Karlie is communications director for Teen Life.

They live in Fort Worth, Texas.

To Aaron and Sarah (Boleslawski ’12) Brooks, a girl, Nora Elaine, June 19, 2018.

Aaron is commercial territory manager for

BORN

To Christopher and Abigail (Dodson) John, boy, Elliott Cooper, July 17, 2018. They live in Fort Worth, Texas.

2016 BORN

To Hayden and Michelle (Lytle ’16) Smiley, a boy, Tatum Lytle Smiley, July 14, 2018.

They live in Houston, Texas, where Hayden is in medical school.

To Joshua and Taylor Gentry, a girl, Margaret, July 18, 2017. They also have a son and live in Palestine, Texas.

To Jameson and Katie (Bell) Maxwell, a boy, Henry James, July 26, 2018. Jameson is a purchasing agent for RAM Products, and Katie is a child life specialist for Cook Children’s Medical Center. They live in North Richland Hills, Texas.

2017 BORN

To Mitchell and Jessye (Chandler) Jansen, a boy, Theodore Renly, Jan. 4, 2018. Mitchell is a technical support representative for Charter, and Jessye is a customer service representative for Royal Canin Inc. They live in St. Charles, Missouri.

2018

Jessica Clark is newscast technical director for WTXL-TV 27 (ABC) in Tallahassee, Florida.

Barbara (Denson) Williams-Rash is clinic director of Huntsville Clinic Inc. Her husband, Samuel Rash, works in sales for Batten Insurance Agency. They live in Huntsville, Texas.

MARRIED Hanner Shipley and Audrey Parker, June 29, 2018. Audrey is an RN for St. Francis Medical Center. They live in Mansfield, Texas.

IN MEMORIAM 1937

Mary Louise (Moore) Anderson, 101, died Dec. 31, 2017. She was born Aug. 24, 1916, to Abilene pioneers J.D. and Etta Moore.

She graduated from Abilene High School and attended ACU, where she met and married Lloyd A. “Andy” Anderson (’37). She was preceded in death by Lloyd and their two sons, Harry C. Anderson (’64) and James L. Anderson. Among survivors are a son, Evan W. Anderson; four grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

1940

Dr. Jack P. Lewis, 99, died July 24, 2018.

He was born March 13, 1919, in Midlothian,

Texas. He earned doctorates in New Testament from Harvard University (1953) and in Old Testament from Hebrew Union College (1962).

A renowned Bible scholar and translator, he was among the founding faculty of Harding School of Theology, and retired as professor emeritus.

He authored many books and scholarly articles, and served on the editorial boards of Restoration Quarterly and the Journal of Hebraic Studies. In 1983 he was chosen Senior Fellow at the W.F. Albright Institute for Archaeological Research in Jerusalem. He was preceded in death by his parents, Pearl Gonce Lewis and Anna Elizabeth Holland Lewis; his first wife, Lynell (Carpenter ’44) Lewis; his second wife, Annie May (Alston) Lewis; a sister, Loreta (Lewis ’39) Kelley; and brothers Dr. LeMoine Gaunce

Lewis (’36), Dr. Homer Clyde Lewis (’44) and Roy Lewis (’51). Survivors include sons Dr. John Lewis and Jerry Lewis; and two grandchildren.

1944

Cleve Allen Cullers, 95, died Oct. 24, 2018. He was born June 3, 1923, in Shawnee, Oklahoma. He grew up in Bryson, Texas, and spent most of his life in Abilene, Texas. He served in the Navy in World War II and retired as a lieutenant commander after 25 years in the Naval Reserves. He worked for Gulf Oil Company (1947-56), owned a property tax company (1956-85) and was a petroleum landman (1985-2000). He served one term as a member of the Abilene City Council, volunteered in many civic organizations and was a volunteer

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chaplain for 15 years for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. He was a member of the Key City Kiwanis Club for 56 years, including serving as president and lieutenant governor, and a member for 62 years of University Church of Christ, where he was a deacon and Bible school teacher. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dolph and Ora Cullers; his first wife, Alyene Brownrigg Adams (’48); and his second wife, Mattie “Jiggs” Cullers. Among survivors are his third wife, Jessica Rose Cullers; daughters Laura Ann Minor (’78) and Karen Lee (Cullers ’74) Fogelman; sons Cullen Keith Cullers (’72) and Alan Bret Cullers (’81); seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; brothers Wallace Cullers (’51), Will Ed Cullers (’60) and Windell Cullers (’64); and a sister, Sue (Cullers ’52) Bailey.

Richard Earl Walker, 95, died Aug. 25, 2018. He was born Jan. 5, 1923, in Hillsboro, Texas. He earned a bachelor’s in Bible/Greek from ACU, and S.T.B. and S.T.M. degrees in New Testament Greek from Harvard University. He married Helen Elaine Hinds (’45) on Sept. 10, 1944, and in 1949 the couple was among the first missionaries in Europe after World War II. His primary evangelistic work was in Frankfurt and Heidelberg, Germany, before moving to Berlin, where his family lived from 1954-68.

Other mission work was done in Austria, Greece, Norway, Bulgaria and India. He devoted more than 40 years as a missionary, then authored several books. He was preceded in death by his parents, Earl Richardson Walker and Laura Winifred (Atchison) Walker; and Elaine, his wife of 64 years. Among survivors are daughters Sheryl Black (’68) and Winnie Worley; sons Dr. Gary Walker, Archie Walker and Harold Walker; 12 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.

1945

LaVorise Lee McKnight, 94, died Sept.

2, 2018. She was born April 11, 1924, in Girard, Texas, and graduated from Spur (Texas) High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in home economics and married her college sweetheart, Millard Freeman “Mid” McKnight (’43) and they began farming on the McKnight homestead in Hale County. Later, Mid began work in ministry, and the couple fostered many children.

She was preceded in death by Mid, her husband of 64 years; her parents, Edwin Stirman Lee and Lillie Cooner Lee; and a grandson, Travis Lee Weiland. Among survivors are daughters Kay (McKnight ’72) Weiland and Sue Bridgeman; sons Millard “Mef” McKnight III (’77) and Dan McKnight; eight grandchildren; 13 greatgrandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; and a sister, Annette (Lee ’55) Fox.

1946

Hershel Lake Dyer, 92, died June 23, 2018.

He was born Sept. 27, 1925, in Crosbyton, Texas.

He married Charline Boyett and they worked with a small mission congregation in Lincoln, Nebraska, before moving to Tulsa, Oklahoma.

He retired in 2001 after 44 years as minister of Tulsa’s 10th and Rockford Church of Christ. He was one of the founders and board members of

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York (Nebraska) College. He was preceded in death by his parents, Carroll Luther Dyer and Lola Pearl Dyer; a sister, Elora Dyer Baker; a brother, Carroll Dyer Jr.; and his wife, Charline. Among survivors are his daughters, Elizabeth Thompson and Becky Kilmer; a son, Russell Dyer; eight grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

1949

Donna Jean (Deacon) Henderson, 92, died Nov. 1, 2018, less than six months after her husband, Parker Henderson (’50). She was born July 24, 1926, near Waverly, Ohio. She attended Oklahoma College for Women before transferring to ACU in 1947 to earn a degree in history. She married Parker in 1958, and they worked with churches in Florida, Tennessee and Texas before beginning a 24-year career as missionaries to Bangkok, Thailand. They moved to the West Indies so he could lead the Trinidad School of Preaching from 1979-2009.

Among survivors are sons Larry Henderson (’73) and Timothy Henderson, daughters Jeanie (Henderson) Allison, Rebecca (Henderson ’01) Talley and Priscilla (Henderson ’85) Jones; 12 grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren.

William Bryan Bogle, 90, died May 18, 2018. He was born May 7, 1928, in Fort Worth, Texas. He grew up in Fort Worth until age 12 and graduated from Abilene (Texas) High School. He married Julia Anne Ratcliffe in 1953. He was a second lieutenant in the Air Force, leaving in 1966 to begin a long career as an avionics engineer. He was preceded in death by his parents, Chester Vernon and Ruth Echols Bogle; and a brother, Chet Bogle (’47). Among survivors are Julie, his wife of 65 years; daughters Shannon (Bogle ’77) Crane and Erin Adkins; a son, Kevin Bogle (’78); four grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

1953

Loreitta Hall Black, 86, died Aug. 11, 2018, in Midland, Texas. She as born Dec. 29, 1931, in McCamey, Texas. She was a member of the Fairmont Park Church of Christ. She was preceded in death by her husband, Harold Norman Black; brothers Alton Layfette Hall (’49) and Lee Roy Hall (’52); and a sister, Vina Rue Hall (’48). Among survivors are a daughter, Tammy B. Click (’85); two grandchildren; and a brother, Fred Hall.

1958

James Lewis Wilks, 81, died March 2, 2018, in Austin, Texas. He was born Aug. 31, 1936, in Abilene, Texas, and grew up in Trent, where he graduated high school. He earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from ACU, where he met and married Marjorie Ann Morrow (’58), and later graduated from the University of Houston Law School. For 50 years he was an attorney as well as co-owner/operator of the Gibson’s store in Kerrville, Texas. He was a deacon, elder, teacher and song leader at 4th and Elm Street Church of Christ in Sweetwater, Texas.

He served on the boards of Sweetwater ISD, the Texas Association of School Boards, and

was president of the Sweetwater Chamber of Commerce. At the top of his civic involvement was a longtime role in the Lions Club, including every possible capacity at the local, regional, district and state levels. He was inducted to the Texas Lions Hall of Fame in 2008. He was preceded in death by his parents, James Garnett Wilks (’31) and Lucille Adrian Wilks (’31). Among survivors are his wife, Marjorie; a son, Lewis Wilks (’85); a daughter, Debra Ann Wilks (’83); three grandchildren; a brother, Don G. Wilks (’71); and sisters Linda (Wilks ’63) Romick and Dr. Marilyn Copeland (’70).

1959

Carolyn J. (McDuffie) Smith, 81, died Nov. 13, 2018. She was born Oct. 26, 1937, in Garrison, Texas. She graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School in Houston. She married Ray F. Smith on Nov. 28, 1957. She was a Girl Scout leader, PTA president, Texas GOP delegate and a travel agent. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ray. Among survivors are a son, Sam Smith; daughters Ellen (Smith ’89) Murphy and Robin Lott; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Mary Sharon (Cummings) Young, 79, died Nov. 4, 2017. She was born March 11, 1938, in Amarillo, Texas, and graduated from Panhandle High School in 1956. She earned a bachelor’s degree in home economics and an M.Ed. in 1981, both from ACU. She married Jaryl Young (’57) while both played in the Abilene Christian band. They were both schoolteachers and spent their retirement years traveling and collecting antiques. She taught home economics at Floydada (Texas) High School, Ralls (Texas) High School and Southwestern Christian College.

She taught kindergarten at St. John’s School and for 27 years at Taylor Elementary School, both in Abilene, and retired in 1997. She was preceded in death by her parents, Dee and Lillian Cummings. Among survivors are her husband, Jaryl; daughters Suzanne (Young ’89) Wideman and Sharyl Ayers; four grandchildren; a sister, Joyce (Cummings ’52) Frashier; and a brother, Jerry Cummings (’58).

Bobbie Ruth (Draper) Petty, 82, died Dec. 2, 2018. She was born Sept. 29, 1936, in Midway, Texas. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. James Alfred Petty (’57); her parents, Howard and Ruth Vick Draper; one grandchild; brothers Bill Draper, Bland Draper (’56), Robert Draper and Johnny Draper (’62); and a sister, Margaret Draper. Among survivors are a daughter, Menielle (Petty ’12) Donahoo; and a sister, Mary (Draper ’53) Fleming.

Kenneth Hill Hutcheson, 81, died Feb. 7, 2017. He was born May 12, 1935. He worked for more than 36 years for the Colorado Department of Rehabilitation in varying roles, including mental health counselor, supervisor of rehabilitation, chief of services for the blind, and field service administrator. Among survivors are Nadene (Steele ’59), his wife of 56 years; daughters Cyndi Hutcheson and Holly (Hutcheson ’92) Curtis; four grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and a brother, Ronald Hutcheson.

1960

Kerry Wheeler King, 80, died Oct. 14, 2018, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was born May 19, 1938, in Cleburne, Texas, and graduated in 1956 from Littlefield (Texas) High School. His career included owning a sign franchise in El Paso, Texas, and working for IBM. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jack W. King (’42) and Carlene “Ruth” Wheeler King; a daughter, Elissa (King ’89) Hutchinson; and a son, Kerry Allen King. Survivors include his wife, Virginia Allen King; brothers Keith King (’65) and Jack King (’71); and a sister, Carol (King ’73) Sullivan.

1962

Robert Lee McFarlin Jr., 78, died Aug. 18, 2018. He was born June 27, 1940, in Temple, Texas. He met and married Marilyn Gay Parker (’61) while attending ACU. After earning his degree in education, he taught for 34 years in Arlington, Texas. In 1985, he married Charlotte Louise Puckett Clark. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Gay; infant twin daughters, Jean and June McFarlin; sons Parker McFarlin (’88) and Robert Lee McFarlin III (’84); and his parents, Robert Lee McFarlin Sr. and Jimmie Hortense Fowler. Among survivors are Charlotte, his second wife of 33 years; a stepdaughter, Lisa Prince; a stepson, Brian Clark; nine grandchildren; and four greatgrandchildren.

Ellen Gay (Bownds) Young, 78, died Aug. 27, 2018. She was born May 17, 1940, in Dallas, Texas, and graduated in 1958 from Big Spring High School. She married Doug Young (’61) on Dec. 28, 1961. She earned a bachelor’s in home economics, a teaching certificate, and did graduate work at the University of Northern Colorado, the University of North Texas and the University of Houston. She taught child development, consumer economics, and home and family living at San Angelo Central High School in the 1970s and ’80s. She became a specialist in school-business partnership programs, developing curriculum for model high school programs and consulting with school districts in Texas, New Mexico and Kansas. From 2006-14 she was the admissions director for Geneva School of Boerne, Texas. She and her husband served on the Oak Hills Church praise team, and she founded the Mentoring Moms ministry at Oak Hills. She was preceded in death by her parents, Jimmie Clark Bownds and Ellen Roena Bownds. Among survivors are Doug, her husband of 56 years; sons Kevin Young (’85) and Dr. Eliot Young (’88); a daughter, Juli (Young ’91) Haught; nine grandchildren; and a sister, Mary Kriedel.

1963

Gloria Elaine (Treat ’63) Baird, 77, died July 14, 2018. She was born May 1, 1941, in Abilene, Texas. She married Dr. Albert W. Baird III (’62) on Sept. 11, 1961, and in 1983 they entered full-time ministry with the Boston Church that grew into the International Churches of Christ. She was preceded in death by her parents, Dr. J.W. Treat (’28) and Mildred (Sellers ’32) Treat, and a brother, Dr. David

Treat (’60). Among survivors are her husband, Al; daughters Staci Yeatman, Kristi Bodzioch and Keri Hiddleston; nine grandchildren; and a brother, David Treat (’60).

1964

Suzanne (Davis) Miller, 76, died Aug. 19, 2018. She was born Nov. 4, 1942, in Long Beach, California, and graduated from Greenville (Texas) High School in 1960. She earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and married C. Todd Miller (’62) in 1964. She was a charter member of Prestoncrest Church of Christ, where she helped lead the Ladies Class program, taught Bible classes and mentored young couples and women. She also was a foster parent through Christian Works for Children. She was preceded in death by a son, Todd Davis Miller (’88); her parents, Robert W. and Nila Mae Davis; and a brother, Robert W. Davis Jr. (’83). Among survivors are Todd, her husband of 54 years; sons Steven Miller (’90) and Chris Miller (’94); a daughter, Melanie Ann (Miller ’97) Christian; and 11 grandchildren.

James Royce Isenhower, 74, died June 2, 2018, in Eastland, Texas. He was born Oct. 24, 1943, in Putnam, Texas, where he graduated high school in 1961. He married Gayle Burnam on Feb. 14, 1964. A lifelong rancher, he retired in 2010 after serving as CEO of Central Texas Federal Credit Bank for 41 years. He was preceded in death by his parents, John D. and Roberta Isenhower. Among survivors are his wife, Gayle; sons Dale Isenhower and John David Isenhower; a daughter, Cristy; five grandchildren; sisters Mary Green, Beth (Isenhower ’72) Petty, Linda (Isenhower ’66) Fiore, Gay McClennan and Elaine (Isenhower ’74) Reynolds; and brothers John Isenhower (’62), Dr. Donald Isenhower (’81) and David Isenhower.

1965

Judy Kay (Allen) Reeves, 75, died Dec. 4, 2018. She was born June 6, 1943, in Altus, Oklahoma, and graduated from Altus High School, where she was drum major and sweetheart of the choir. She met classmate Dr. Perry Reeves (’65) at ACU and they married Aug. 30, 1964. She earned a degree in vocational home economics from Abilene Christian and a master’s degree from Southern Methodist University. She taught family and consumer science classes in Austin, Richardson and Abilene public schools, and at ACU. She was a leader in the women’s ministry at Abilene’s Hillcrest Church of Christ, Women for ACU and the Faculty Wives Club. Among survivors are Perry, her husband of 54 years; a daughter, Amy (Reeves ’90) Pybus; a son, Mark Reeves (’93); two grandchildren; and a brother, Keith Allen.

1967

Gene Larue Foster, 79, died Dec. 1, 2018.

He was born Aug. 4, 1939, in Abilene, Texas. He grew up in Clyde and Mineral Wells, Texas. He attended Draughan’s Business College before serving four years in the Air Force, then enrolled at ACU, where he met and married Carolyn

Scitern (’64) in 1963. He was owner-operator of Foster Foral in Gorman, Texas, for 37 years.

He served on the boards of Comanche County Telephone Company and the West Texas New Mexico Florist Association. He was an active volunteer member of the Gorman (Texas) Volunteer Fire Department for 49 years, and fire chief for 26 years. He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Lorene Foster; a brother, Earl Roberts; and a sister, Iva Lou Foster. Among survivors are Carolyn, his wife of 55 years; a daughter, Lisa (Foster ’89) Whatley; a son, Joe Foster; three grandchildren; and a brother, Nevin Foster.

1970

Michael “Mike” Gregg Whelan, 69, died April 13, 2017. He was born Sept. 13, 1947, in San Antonio, Texas. He grew up in Kerrville, graduating from Tivy High School. He married Martha Weddle (’70) in 1970. During his career, Whelan worked as an underwriter for Employers Insurance of Texas, Lone Star Gas Company, Enserch Corporation, and as an insurance risk manager for TXU. He was preceded in death by his father, Bernard Whelan. Among survivors are Martha, his wife of 46 years; daughters Alison (Whelan ’99) Pirtle and Katie (Whelan ’02) Beitler; two grandchildren; and a brother, Gary Whelan.

Laura Jane (Sanders) Otey, 71, died Oct. 7, 2018. She was born Sept. 8, 1947, in Austin, Texas. She graduated from Houston’s Lamar High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in vocational home economics from ACU and a double master’s degree in education administration and counseling from Texas State University. Her career spanned 41 years as an educator, primarily in the Austin ISD, where she was a Special Education teacher and administrator. She retired in 2009 but started a second career in 1999 as a conflict resolution educator and trainer. She married Dr. Robert G. Otey on June 7, 1980. She was preceded in death by her parents, Robert “R.L.” Sanders (’44) and Dorothy “Jean” (Martin ’44) Sanders. Among survivors are Bob, her husband of 38 years; sons Robb Otey and Matt Otey; a daughter, Kirstin Otey; eight grandchildren; a brother, Steve Sanders (’75); and a sister, Lisa Higgason.

1976

Bruce Kim Mathews, 65, died Aug. 20, 2018, in Modesto, California. He was born in Stockton, California, on March 1, 1953. He earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from ACU and an M.Ed. from Chapman University. He began his teaching career at Sierra Christian School in Stockton, and later transferred to Manteca (California) Unified School District, where he taught elementary school for 13 years. He started his second career building custom homes after obtaining his general contractor’s license. He was preceded in death by his father, Bruce Mathews; and a daughter, Jeanette Mathews.

Among survivors are Marie, his wife of 32 years; a son, Stephen Mathews; his mother, Mary

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Jo Mathews; a sister, Debbie (Mathews ’74) Moore; and a brother, Stan Mathews.

1977

Lou “Jane” Bell, 63, died Dec. 6, 2018. She was born Sept. 9, 1955, and graduated from Longview (Texas) High School. She married Dr. Joe Bell (’77) on Aug. 28, 1976. The following year, she began her teaching career and in 1985, she started teaching second grade at Johnston Elementary in the Abilene ISD, where she remained until her retirement in 2012. She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Doris Allen; a daughter, Lyn Holly Bell; and a brother, John A. Allen. Among survivors are her husband, Dr. Joe Bell; a daughter, Erin (Bell ’05) Garner, D.O.; three grandchildren; a brother, Fred J. Allen (’76); and sisters Barbara Gould (’70) and Peggy Lawson (’74).

Reggie Howell, 63, died Jan. 28, 2019, in Tyler, Texas, after a months-long struggle with cancer. He was born April 23, 1955, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He earned a golf scholarship at ACU, where he met his wife, Cathy Cowan (’80). They married in 1979 and spent time in Abilene, Midland and Houston before eventually settling down in Tyler. Following in his father's footsteps, he went to work in the oil and gas industry and filled many roles in his nearly 40-year career, primarily focusing on business development. He was an avid golfer and longtime member of Hollytree Country Club in Tyler and a board member and former president of the Texas Golf Association. He was also a founding member of the Texas Football League, the oldest fantasy football league in the state, and he was the first inductee into the Fantasy Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

A devout Christian, he attended Glenwood Church of Christ and served there as an elder for 10 years. Among survivors are his wife, Cathy; sons Jarrod Howell and Tyler Howell (’11); two grandchildren; his mother, Nanette Sellers Howell; and sisters Vonna Howell Tankersley and Nanci Howell Craun.

1979

Stephen Lee Carter, 62, died May 9, 2018, in Plano, Texas. He was born Feb. 14, 1956, in Fort Stockton, Texas, and later moved to Abilene, Texas, where he graduated from Abilene High School in 1975. He earned a B.A. degree in mass communications and went on to a career in advertising and marketing. He was preceded in death by his parents, Bobbie and Frankie Carter.

1981

Deborah Lynn (Brown) Hagen, 59, died Aug. 13, 2018, in Abilene, Texas. She was born April 6, 1959, in Wichita, Kansas. She earned a B.S.Ed. degree from ACU, and was a teacher for 36 years. She was preceded in death by her father, William Donald Brown (’69). Among survivors are George, her husband of 30 years; a daughter, Mari Catharine Hagan (’13); brothers Steven Brown (’78) and Timothy Brown (’83); and her mother, Mary Broadus Brown (’71).

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Clayton Alan Smith, 59, died Oct. 24, 2018, in El Campo, Texas. He was born Oct. 13, 1959, and grew up in Garwood, helping his parents farm and playing three sports for Rice Consolidated High School. He ran track at ACU, earned a degree in business and married his college sweetheart, Diane McLean (’82).

He was preceded in death by his parents, Cecil A. Smith and Shirley E. Hunt. Among survivors are Diane, his wife of 36 years, sons Cale Smith and Sean Smith (’10); a daughter, Shannon (Smith ’12) Applegate; four grandchildren; a sister, Sheryl (Smith ’80) Stevenson; and a brother, Madison Smith (’83).

Lisa Jo (Gregory) Stanley, 60, died March 30, 2018. She was born July 10, 1957, and earned a B.B.A. degree from ACU. She was director of transportation for Texarkana ISD for 30 years. She was preceded in death by her father, Joe Dell Gregory. Among survivors are Stacy Charles Stanley, her husband of 40 years; her mother, June Laney Gregory; and a brother, Todd Gregory.

1999

Sara Lynn (Morgan) Laminack, 42, died July 17, 2018. She was born July 3, 1976, in Tyler, Texas. The daughter of missionaries, she lived in Brazil for seven years before the family moved to Texas, where she later graduated from Marion High School. She earned a B.A. in theatre from ACU and married Trey Laminack (’07) on March 14, 2009. She was a member of Saturn Road Church of Christ in Garland, Texas, where she was active in VBS ministry. Among survivors are her husband, Trey; daughters Clara Laminack and Alice Laminack; her parents, Daniel Morgan II (’99 M.S.) and Carol Morgan; a brother, Nathaniel Morgan (’99); and a sister, Sunny Morgan.

2003

Mary-Nancy Moore Smith, 39, died July 13, 2018. She was born Aug. 10, 1978, in Odessa, Texas, and graduated from Waco’s Connally High School in 1996. She earned a bachelor’s degree in human communications and a degree in cosmetology from South Plains College.

She married Cody Smith on Feb. 17, 2004. She taught students in Prairie Home, Missouri, and started her own business, Eagle Eye Editing.

Among survivors are her husband, Cody; her parents, Michael (’77) and Helen (Bates ’99) Moore; a sister, Jenni (Moore ’99) Langston; and a brother, Wayland Lesly.

2016

Paloma J. Cavazos, 25, died May 31, 2018, in a traffic accident in Venus, Texas. She was born July 7, 1993. She taught Spanish at DeSoto (Texas) High School. At ACU she was active in the Big Purple Band and Hispanos Unidos, and was president of Sigma Delta Pi. Among survivors are her parents, Rodrigo and Maria Cavazos.

Rebecca “Becky” Harlow, 65, a student in the Ed.D. in organizational leadership program, died Dec. 19, 2018. She was born in Wharton, Texas, on Jan. 20, 1953. She graduated from Boling (Texas) High School in 1971. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas State University and an M.Ed. from ACU. She taught Spanish and English at the high school level. She was preceded in death by her parents, William Andrew and Shirley May Smith Edwards, and a brother, Bill Edwards. Among survivors are her daughters, Summer Harlow and Shauna Harlow; a sister, Ginger Lloyd; brothers Clifford Edwards and Robin Edwards; and two grandchildren.

Chandler Paul Williams, 21, died March 31, 2019, in Abilene, Texas. He was born July 25, 1997, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and resided briefly in New Jersey before moving to Colorado in 2008. Chandler served in the Colorado Springs Police Department, participating in Fire Explorers and mentoring students at ACU, where he was a resident assistant in Edwards Hall with a large sphere of influence throughout the campus. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Edgar Williams.

Among survivors are his mother and father, Kim and Kurt Williams; a sister, Savannah; paternal grandmother Josephine Walter; maternal grandfather and grandmother, Charles and Sheila Kelley; and a great-grandmother, Margie Ellis.

2020

Jessica Renae Richardson, 21, died Sept. 28, 2018, in Abilene, Texas. She was born Dec. 17, 1996, and graduated from San Antonio’s Clark High School. She was an ACU senior majoring in advertising and PR, a member of Alpha Kai Omega women’s social club, and involved in the Swing Dance Club.

Among survivors are her mother, Libbie Raye Richardson; step-parents Doug and Dinah Schnurr; biological father Michael Bianco; siblings, James and Jordan Bianco, Natalie Schnurr, Brynn and Donnie Carter, Ryan and Allison Schnurr, and Katie and Kelsey Schnurr; grandparents Belva and Raymond Ormand; and maternal grandfather William Schaefer Jr.

OTHER FRIENDS

Jacque Nell Hunter Holland, 86, died Oct. 17, 2018, in Houston, Texas. She was born Nov. 9, 1931, in Dallas, Texas. She married Dr. David Scott Holland in 1952. She studied music at the University of North Texas, and sang in the Midland (Texas) Symphony and Chorale.

She was preceded in death by her parents, George David Hunter and Jacque Chisholm Hunter; and her husband, David. Among survivors are her sons, David Scott Holland and Terrence Hunter Holland (’78); three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

The Holland Family Foundation is the generous benefactor of the Jacque Nell Holland Endowed Scholarship. 

ACU Remembers

GERALD EWING

Mary Frazier Clark (’44), a pioneering trustee at ACU, died Oct. 20, 2018, in Abilene at age 95 following a short illness.

Born Feb. 1, 1923, in Hockley County, Texas, she grew up in Sundown and graduated from Levelland High School in 1940.

She majored in education at ACU, where she was a member of the “W” Club, Prickly Pear staff and the Melpomenean Players.

For three years after earning her degree, she taught school in the Sundown and Levelland ISDs. She married John D. “Skeet” Clark on June 14, 1946, and the Clark self-employed rancher died in 1977. The Clarks lived in Rising Star for many years, and were named Rising Star Farm Family for 1969. She spent most of her adult life as a homemaker who was active in the PTA (1953-76) for Rising Star ISD, including as president, and she was a trustee of Girlstown U.S.A. in Whiteface, Texas.

In 2005 she was named Region 4 Absentee Rancher of the year for Texas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

At Abilene Christian she was a member of the Hope for the Future Steering Committee, Women for ACU and the university’s National Development Council (1979-84).

She also received the Estes Award in 2002 for her contributions to Abilene Christian Schools.

In 1984 she became the first woman named to ACU’s Board of Trustees, and served from 1993-2007 on the University Council.

“Mary Clark was an exceptional woman by any measure,” said chancellor Dr. Royce Money (’64), who served as president during her long trusteeship. “As Jesus did, she went about doing good and encouraging others.

She also was a good businesswoman, and she shared the fruit of her work generously with many others. Her voice was the voice of wisdom and conviction, and she did not hesitate to speak up and to participate fully in the ongoing mission of the university she loved.”

Clark was preceded in death by John, her husband of 30 years; her parents, Walter G. and Mintie (Reed) Frazier; and a brother, James Walter Frazier Sr. (’51).

Among survivors are three sons, Frazier Clark (’69), Jack Clark and Bob Clark; a daughter, Marilyn (Clark ’80) Martin Coates; nine grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren. 

Former ACU faculty member and administrator Dr. Jeffrey O. Haseltine, 63, died July 28, 2018. He was born Jan. 15, 1955, in Fullerton, California, and graduated from Dallas (Texas) Christian High School in 1973.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma Christian University, a master’s from the University of Oklahoma and a doctorate from Southern Illinois University. He married Gwynn Wallace on Dec. 26, 1975. During a 24-year career at ACU, he taught English, English as a Second Language, and was director of the Intensive Language Institute. He also chaired the foreign languages department and served as associate and assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Haseltine assistant dean of the College of Education and Human Services. Among survivors are his wife, Gwynn; daughters Kelly (Haseltine ’05) Quinn, Jessica (Haseltine ’07) Khachiyants, Melanie Haseltine (’12) and Claire Haseltine; a sister, Claudia Sewell; and a brother, William Haseltine.

Former track and field standout James Leslie “Les” Vanover (’54) died Aug. 2, 2018, at age 86. He was born Nov. 6, 1931, in Beaumont, Texas, where he graduated from South Park High School in 1949. He was twice an NAIA national champion in the high jump at ACU, ranking sixth in the world in 1954, when he set a Wildcat school record of 6-8 that would stand nearly 20 years. He served in the Army, and was named U.S. Army European Track and Field Athlete of the Year for 1957. Later, he was a high school teacher, coach and administrator, and was inducted in 2011 to the ACU Sports Hall of Fame.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William Vanover Clarence Vanover and Thelma Loneta Studdard, and his brothers, Dean Vanover and Glen Vanover.

Among survivors are a daughter, Kathryn Vanover Habluetzel, and four grandchildren.

Former ACU librarian Nollie Marie (Willis ’54) Brown, 86, died Aug. 23, 2018, in Dallas, Texas. She was born Oct. 3, 1931, in Kingsland, Texas; graduated from Abilene (Texas) High School in 1950; and attended ACU and Harding University. She enlisted in the Woman’s Army Corp in 1952, and served in Germany during the Korean conflict, rising to the rank of sergeant. She met serviceman Oscar Glenville Brown (’54) in Heidelberg, Germany, and they married Aug. 25, 1956. They moved in 1963 to Clyde, Texas, where they owned and operated Circle B Farms, and Cottage Kindergarten and Cottage First Grade private schools. She joined the ACU Library staff in 1975, and retired in 1994. She was preceded in death by her parents, Floyd and Seth (Tedford) Willis; her husband, Oscar; and sisters Lula Mae (Willis ’58) Miller and Betty Jean (Willis) Newton. Among survivors are sons George Brown (’87) and Oscar Brown Jr. (’84); a daughter, Betsey (Brown ’87) Bargainer; and four grandchildren.

ACU benefactor Lydia Clarke Heston, 95, of Beverly Hills, California, died Sept. 3, 2018, in Santa Monica. The wife of Academy Award-winning actor Charlton Heston, she was an acclaimed photographer following an acting career. She was born April 14, 1923, in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, and met Heston while both were enrolled at Northwestern University.

The couple married in 1944. After he returned from service in World War II, the Hestons pursued acting careers in New York City. She appeared on several TV shows, on Broadway in Detective Story in 1949, and as a circus girl in The Greatest Show on Earth, the Oscar-winning 1952 Cecil B. DeMille film in which her husband starred. She also co-starred with Gene Barry in the 1952 film, The Atomic City. Her photography career began taking pictures on the set of The Greatest Show on Earth and continued on many of her husband’s film ventures. Her photojournalism career grew, with her images exhibited in museums and galleries at ACU (1985) and in more than 50 countries, and in books such as Children Around the World, Mi Vida and

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The Light of the World (by ACU Press, 1989). The couple visited campus several times, including Homecoming 1989 when they narrated “Growing Up With the Epic Film: A Family Adventure,” a multimedia retrospective lecture at Abilene’s historic Paramount Theatre of their career and life together in Hollywood. They established the Heston Family Theatre Endowment and the Lydia Clarke Heston Endowed Scholarship at ACU. She The Hestons was preceded in death by Charlton, her husband of 64 years. Among survivors are her son, Fraser Clarke Heston; a daughter, Holly Rochell Heston; and three grandchildren.

Former longtime ACU payroll manager Jo Anne (Campbell ’64) Jamison died Aug. 27, 2018, in Abilene at age 75. She was born Sept. 17, 1942, in Dallas, Texas, and married Fred Jamison Jr. (’64) on Jan. 25, 1964. She served 18 years as payroll manager at ACU before working with her husband and son at Allied Parcel and Post / Allied Signs and Frames. She was preceded in death by her parents, Harry Eugene “Gene” Campbell and Jamison Virginia Lee (Carlisle) Campbell. Among survivors are Fred Jr., her husband of 54 years; daughters Jerri Lee (Jamison ’88) Adams and Jenni Lin Jamison (’90); a son, Fred Jamison III (’93); and four grandchildren.

Shelly Kaye (Duzan) Roggendorff, RN, of Abilene, died Sept. 21, 2018, at age 44 following a four-year battle with ovarian cancer. While she was born July 6, 1974, in El Paso, Texas, she grew up in Odessa and Round Rock, graduating from Round Rock High School in 1992. She married Dr. Paul Roggendorff in 1995 and graduated from Harding University in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. For 21 years she served as a labor and delivery nurse in Kentucky, Illinois and Texas, concluding her career at Abilene Regional Medical Center (ARMC). She found a unique calling as the nurse for families who suffered a fetal demise, coming to accept Roggendorff as a ministry an aspect of labor and delivery nursing that many avoided. She was diagnosed with cancer shortly after relocating in 2014 with her family to Montevideo, Uruguay, to devote a semester to ACU’s Study Abroad program. She returned to Texas and transitioned to a nursing educator position at ARMC, a role she continued throughout her treatment. She also was a clinical teaching assistant for the ACU School of Nursing. Shelly is survived by Paul, her husband of 23 years and assistant professor of language and literature; two sons, Ethan and Chris; a daughter, Allison; her mother-in-law, Bertha Roggendorff; her father, Robert Duzan (’65); her mother, Dorinda (Dunigan ’67) Duzan; and a brother, Kevin.

Karen (Talton) Wilkerson, director of the Upward Bound program at ACU, died Oct. 23, 2018, at age 47 following an illness. She was born March 17, 1971, in Dallas, Texas. Before joining ACU’s staff in 2002 as an advisor in the university’s Talent Search program, she worked in the Texas State Agency of the Aged and Disabled in Waco, Texas, and the Upward Bound program at McLennan Community College.

She was named Upward Bound director for Abilene Christian in 2006. She was a leader in the national community of TRIO professionals, having served as president of the Texas Association for Special Student Services Programs. Wilkerson earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology Wilkerson from Texas A&M University and a master’s in educational psychology from Baylor University. She mentored hundreds of local high school students who come from low-income households to be the first in their families to attend college. Colleagues respected her as a passionate and trusted guide to young people in Abilene. Among survivors are her husband, Gerald Wilkerson (’92); their children, Victoria and

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Donovan; her mother, Johnnie Talton; her father, Joel Talton; and a brother, Joel Christopher Talton.

Veteran minister and former longtime ACU trustee Stanley A. Lockhart (’49) died Nov. 7, 2018, at age 91 in Cedar Park, Texas. He was born Sept. 30, 1927, in Parkersburg, West Virginia, graduating from Parkersburg High School in 1945. He attended Freed-Hardeman University (1945-47) and Murray State University (1948) before earning a bachelor’s degree in Bible from ACU in 1949 and a master’s degree in religion from Eastern New Mexico University in 1952. Lockhart met Carolyn Randolph while attending FHU and they married June 6, 1948, while he was enrolled at ACU. Lockhart began preaching at age 15 and served Lockhart as a minister for Churches of Christ in Texas for more than 50 years, including Texline (194950), Friona (1950-53), Levelland (1953-56), Johnson Street in San Angelo (1956-71 and 1985-92), Skillman Avenue in Dallas (1971-77), and Westbury in Houston (1977-85). In retirement he served as an elder at the Johnson Street congregation. He conducted lectureships around the world; hosted a weekly TV program; preached on the radio; penned songs; and published two books, Fragile Moments and The Holy Spirit, His Person and Work.

Lockhart was a trustee of ACU for 16 years (1982-98), served on the Search Committee for the university’s 10th president, and received his alma mater’s Distinguished Alumni Citation in 1993. He also was a trustee of Westbury Christian School. He was preceded in death by his parents, Amos Edward and Anna Evalena Lockhart; and Carolyn, his wife of 63 years. Among survivors are two daughters, Lyndolyn (Lockhart ’74) Pervier and Sherry (Lockhart ’77) Bird; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

John Tullis Ledbetter “T.L.” Jones Jr. (’57), namesake of the new tennis facility at ACU, died Nov. 16, 2018, at age 84. He was born July 7, 1934, in Quanah, Texas, where he graduated high school at age 16.

He married Janice Marie Nash (’58) on Dec. 18, 1955, and she died in 2003. He married Brenda Kinsolving on March 25, 2007. A respected leader in the American horse racing industry, he was instrumental in developing Breeders’ Cup World Championships and served on the Breeders’ Cup board, along with The Keeneland Association board and the Kentucky Racing Commission.

For 32 years he managed and owned Walmac Jones Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, which developed notable thoroughbreds such as Nureyev, Alleged and Miswaki. Among his prized horses was Ochoa, the all-time leading money winner in quarter horse racing history. He was later inducted into the Ruidoso Downs Hall of Fame and the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

Jones also owned and managed ranches in Texas and Oklahoma. He established the John T.L. and Janice Jones Tennis Scholarship Endowment and the John T.L. Jones Golf Endowment at ACU. He was preceded in death by his parents, John Jones Sr. and Mary Bellah Jones, and his first wife, Janice. Among survivors are his wife, Brenda; sons Johnny Jones III, former ACU head men’s tennis coach Hutton Jones (’81) and Dr. Levi Jones (’84); a daughter, Julie Mogge; eight grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; stepchildren Jenna Decker, CJ Kinvolsing and Ashley Crow; and seven step-grandchildren.

Dr. James C. “Jim” Cooke (’72), longtime ACU professor, outdoorsman and environmental educator, died Jan. 13, 2019, in Abilene after a brief illness at age 69. He was born Dec. 28, 1949, in San Francisco, California. He grew up in nearby Menlo Park, graduating from Menlo-Atherton High School. He attended California Polytechnic State University for two years before transferring to ACU. He married classmate Cynthia Litton (’72) on July 15, 1972, after she graduated. Cooke earned an M.S.Ed. degree in industrial technology in 1978 and an Ed.D. in higher education in 1994, both from the University of North Texas. He taught industrial technology in Texas public schools in Hurst-Euless-Bedford and Denton before teaching for a year at Western State College. He

joined the ACU faculty in Fall 1982 to teach in the Department of Industrial Technology and later served as its chair. He taught in the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences from 2004 until retiring from full-time teaching in 2018. He received numerous awards for his teaching from state and regional industrial arts organizations, and at ACU. He was a passionate advocate for the environment as an expression Cooke of Christian stewardship. In the late 1990s he involved students in the design and installation of solar panels for the industrial technology building and led a group of students to create the purple bike project, providing a small fleet of shared bicycles for student use. After ACU’s industrial technology program was closed, he arranged for tools to be shipped to Honduras where he designed and built a woodworking shop for Mission Lazarus to provide vocational training for local young people. He involved students in rebuilding efforts through disaster relief following hurricanes Andrew, Katrina and Ike. For more than 15 years he led numerous backpacking trips to Colorado.

Locally, he was an early and ardent advocate for creation of the Cedar Creek Waterway project, spending many hours organizing student groups to haul trash and debris from the area. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clinton C. and Alleen (Ott) Cooke. Among survivors are his wife, Cynthia; daughters Jennifer (Cooke ’03) McMillian and Emily (Cooke ’06) Wardell; a son, Jonathan Cooke (’13); sisters Cary MacMahon and Cate Dudley; and six grandchildren. In addition to their biological children, Anita Vigil (’92) held a special place in his heart as an “adopted” daughter.

Ike Joseph Talbot, an ACU trustee from 1979-96, died Feb. 17, 2019, at age 93. He was born Oct. 1, 1925, in Houston, Texas, graduating from Houston Milby High School in 1945. He attended the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, the University of North Carolina, Villanova University, and after serving in the Marine Corps from 1943-46, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Houston in 1947. He married Charlene Roberts on March 3, 1950. He was a construction engineer and training director at The Dow Chemical Company from 1950-57 before beginning a career in real estate and insurance Talbot with Talbot & Associates. He was a resident and businessman of Lake Jackson, Texas, for nearly 70 years. The Talbots were active with the Lake Jackson Church of Christ, where he was an elder and teacher, and personally involved in missions efforts around the world, especially Malaysia and Indonesia.

He was preceded in death by his parents; Charlene, his wife of 66 years; a sister; and three grandchildren. Survivors include, a son, Paul Talbot (’85); a daughter, Carol Clayton (’81); four grandchildren; four greatgrandchildren; and a brother, Dan Talbot.

George W. “Bill” Knight (’55), one of ACU’s top achievers in the world of research science with 56 patents for his work on polymers and elastomers, died April 15, 2019, at age 85. He was born Dec. 1, 1933, in Stuart, Oklahoma, and graduated from McAlester (Oklahoma) High School in 1951. Knight met Anna Daugherty (’57) in 1956 and they raised three children while living in Lake Jackson, Texas.

The couple had been married 43 years and was living in Edmond, Oklahoma, when she died in 1999. He married Donna Sharp in 2004. Knight earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from ACU and a master’s in biochemistry from Florida Knight State University in 1957. He taught chemistry at Abilene Christian for three years (1958-61) before beginning a 35-year career as a polymer chemist with The Dow Chemical Company, where he retired as a senior research chemist in 1996. In 2015, he was named an American Chemical Society Hero of Chemistry for his contributions to the innovation of Dow’s INSITE technology that led to the creation of novel polyethylene elastomers. In 1991, Knight was awarded the Herbert H. Dow Medal, the company’s highest honor bestowed on

scientists and researchers, for his contributions to polymer science. In 1994, the Intellectual Property Owners Association recognized his team of five researchers as Inventors of the Year. Knight was a teacher, song leader, deacon, elder and mentor for 35 years at the Lake Jackson Church of Christ. He served as an ACU trustee from 1996-2004 and was named the university’s 1979 Outstanding Alumnus of the Year. Knight was preceded in death by his parents, W.A. “Bill” and Myrtle Knight; his first wife, Anna; and his three siblings, Eugene Knight, Darlene Sisco and Rheta Beth Brookins. Among survivors are his second wife, Donna; daughters Natasha (Knight ’81) Brown and Renai (Knight ’83) McClanahan; a son, Tony Knight (’85); seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Former senior advancement officer Billy Joe Spann died April 22, 2019, in Abilene at age 88. He was born April 6, 1931, in Hebron, Texas, graduated from Frisco (Texas) High School in 1948 and earned a bachelor’s degree from Austin College. After graduation, he enlisted in the Air Force and was stationed in Harlingen, Texas. He married Darlene Rice in 1954 and together they raised five children. He worked in the insurance business after his military service, eventually serving as a partner in the Millerman & Millerman agency after he and Darlene moved to Abilene in 1977. He began work for ACU in 1989 as director of planned giving before serving as Spann assistant vice president for planned giving for The ACU Foundation, and retiring in 2000. He emceed the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society convention in Nashville, Tennessee, for 31 years. He served for more than 30 years as an elder and Bible class teacher at Abilene’s Woodlawn Church of Christ. He was preceded in death by his parents, J.W. and Dovie May (Ferguson) Spann.

Among survivors are his wife, Darlene; four daughters, Karen (Spann ’77) Bordner, Lisa (Spann ’79) Carroll, Laura (Spann ’81) Sutton and Anji (Spann ’94) Day; a son, David Spann (’85); 23 grandchildren; nearly as many great-grandchildren; and a sister, Marcella Booth.

Pepperdine University and Oklahoma University president emeritus Dr. William S. Banowsky, an ACU benefactor, died April 28, 2019, at age 83 in Dallas, Texas. He was born March 4, 1936, in Abilene, Texas, and raised in Fort Worth. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Lipscomb University (1955), a master’s from the University of New Mexico (1959), a doctorate from the University of Southern California (1963) and a master’s in clinical psychology from Pepperdine in 1995.

Banowsky had two tenures at Pepperdine – from 1958-63 on the communications faculty and in administrative roles, and from 1968-78, including Banowsky time as its president and CEO. He was minister of the Broadway Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas, (1963-68) and counseling minister for the Highland Oaks Church of Christ in Dallas (1995-2000). He was president of the University of Oklahoma (1978-85), president of Gaylord Broadcasting Co. (1985-88), as well as vice chair of the board of Texas Rangers Baseball Club and president of the Texas Superconducting Super Collider Authority. He was executive vice president of National Medical Enterprises (1988-95). Banowsky authored four books, including an important historical study, The Mirror of a Movement: Churches of Christ As Seen Through the Abilene Christian College Lectureship. Another – The Malibu Miracle: A Memoir – was published in 2010, recounting the story of his career and Pepperdine’s move from south Los Angeles to Malibu, where Banowsky Boulevard was dedicated in his honor in 1991 and he served with distinction as a life regent of Pepperdine. He was preceded in death by his parents, Wade (’32) and Thelma (Slater ’35) Banowsky. Among survivors are Gay, his wife of 62 years; sons David, William Jr., Baxter, and Britton; and several grandchildren. 

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SecondGLANCE

BY DR. CHERYL MANN BACON

Onstead generosity ministers best to those closest to Kay’s heart

JEREMY ENLOW

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – John 13:35 Bob and Kay Onstead moved to Houston with two pre-school aged children in the late 1950s and began attending the Southwest Church of Christ.

“We saw these young couples there, and I said, ‘Who are these couples? They are so nice and cute and have so much fun together,’ ” Kay recalled recently.

Someone told her they all went to ACU together.

“I said, ‘That’s where I want to send our children.’ ” Those young couples could not have imagined the impact their example would have on their alma mater in decades to come. The Onsteads had never been on the ACU campus. Bob grew up in Ennis, a farming community, and at age 13 began working summers in his uncle’s grocery store. After serving in the Air Force, he graduated from the University of North Texas. The young family moved to Houston where Bob went to work for Randall’s Super Valu Stores, a grocery chain owned by his father-in-law.

Over the next 40 years, Onstead’s name and leadership became part of Houston history, building his business and his city.

Eventually, three of five Onstead children – Ann, Charlie (’89) and Mary (Onstead ’83) Hill – attended ACU. A fourth, Fran, was accepted and assigned a dorm room but her bone cancer worsened just months before she was to begin her freshman year.

She died at age 19. Randall, their oldest son, graduated from Texas Tech.

The family name appears on the new Onstead Science Center, a significant investment carrying Bob and Kay’s name and one with which the family is deeply pleased. But the Onstead commitment to ACU that runs longest, deepest and closest to Kay’s heart are the scholarship endowments the couple has established over 35 years.

The Robert R. Onstead Business Endowed Scholarship was created in 1985 to assist business majors and was the first of three major endowments that have helped many ACU students.

In 1989, the Kay and Bob Onstead Endowed Scholarship for Biblical Studies Majors was initially limited to Bible majors, but the name and requirements were changed in 2000. Today, it benefits students with any major with a parent in full-time ministry in the Churches of Christ.

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“That was my husband’s idea. Ministers too often don’t make enough to send their children to ACU,” Kay said. “Bob wanted to give them an opportunity.”

Bob was only 73 when he died in 2004. Creating the endowments was his legacy, but the Onstead Scholars Dinner is all Kay. Once each year, she makes the trip to Abilene to meet and talk to “her students.”

“That’s my favorite thing I do,” Kay said.

The Onstead Scholars introduce themselves and Kay loves hearing their stories, even if they aren’t always happy. One year a student sitting near her spent much of the evening staring at the floor. When it came his turn to talk he said, “This has been a hard day.” His mother had been fired that day after 25 years working at their church.

A young woman told how she had been driving when her mother called to tell her she had received the Onstead scholarship that would make it possible for her to come to ACU. “I had to pull over on the side of the road,” she said.

“That made me feel so good,” Kay said. “It made me realize how important the school is to those kids.

Kay Onstead They really want to come and they really couldn’t afford it.”

By supporting children of ministers, the Onstead Scholars program supported a historic core constituency at ACU. Kay’s newest endowment, established in Fall 2018, broadens the university’s reach by providing scholarships for students with the greatest unmet financial need. Statewide, the fastest growing college-aged demographic groups are Hispanic students and first-generation college students.

Not every student in those categories has such great need, but there’s enough overlap for The Onstead Opportunity Endowed Scholarship to be of enormous impact – for those students and for Abilene Christian.

Kay can’t stop smiling when she talks about it.

“Why shouldn’t they have the right to go to ACU if they can get the money to do it? I want them to be able to.

I feel like everybody should be able to if they want to go.”

She believes the students who receive these newest Onstead scholarships will make a real difference in the world. And she hopes her children and others who are able will share her vision.

“It’s my favorite thing,” she said. “There’s nothing else close.” 

From the PRESIDENT

ACU Today is published twice a year by the Office of University Marketing at Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas.

Philanthropy

STAFF

T

he world was a different place in 1956 when Bobby Joe Morrow (’58) put Abilene Christian on the map

by winning three gold medals during the Olympic Games in Melbourne.

He was not an unknown commodity, as the Wildcats were recognized far and wide for their record-setting sprinters in The Wildcats were a front-page track and field. But his fame – and that of phenomenon during March Madness. teammates and coaches through media coverage – plus Morrow’s subsequent Sportsman of the Year honor from Sports Illustrated, changed what people around the globe knew about ACU and Abilene, Texas.

In March of this year, we heard you cheering with us for the Wildcats when ACU made school history by sending both men’s and women’s basketball teams to play in the NCAA Tournament. It was an astounding accomplishment in only the university’s second year to be postseason championship-eligible in Division I. Both teams won their respective Southland Conference tournament titles and were not intimidated by drawing games against Kentucky in the men’s Midwest regional and eventual national champion Baylor in the women’s first round. Our cover story documents their experience, which included terrific support from fans in a gigantic watch party in Moody Coliseum and a large contingent who traveled to Waco, Texas, among others.

Both games were nationally televised – the men’s in primetime on CBS – resulting in the kind of media attention and name exposure for Abilene Christian not seen since Morrow’s era. It also brought unprecedented brand visibility that rarely comes today in higher education except through the world of intercollegiate athletics at the Division I level.

Of course, we are much more than a university competing in 17 NCAA sports. We have distinguished scholars teaching in state-of-the-art facilities, mentoring the most talented students anywhere. Our alumni are international leaders in their respective fields of endeavor. This issue of ACU Today shares information about many of them, notably the annual award winners and other newsmakers profiled on these pages.

Our first taste of college basketball’s Division I March Madness stirred many emotions and created many memories. But one conclusion colors what I’ll always remember: Great opportunties are realized when ACU students, faculty, staff and alumni stand on an international stage and demonstrate their God-given talents and abilities while wearing Purple and White.

The synergy created by the accomplishments of these two teams energized all of us, and is just the beginning of what’s to come.

Let’s remember what that felt and looked like, and commit to working together to build a greater ACU, creating even more opportunities for deserving students to earn the higher education of their dreams while learning how to make a real difference in the world.

Go Wildcats!

Editor: Ron Hadfield (’79) Assistant Editor: Robin (Ward ’82) Saylor Sports Editor: Lance Fleming (’92) Contributing Writers This Issue: Dr. Cheryl Mann Bacon (’76), Sarah Carlson (’06), Dawn (Treat ’89) Cole, Loretta Fulton, Chris Macaluso, Deana (Hamby ’93) Nall Contributing Photographers This Issue: Greg Kendall-Ball (M.A. ’06), Jenny Brown, Steffenie Burns, Steve Butman, Brian Coats, Mandy (Becker ’13) Collum, Brandi Jo (Magee ’06) Delony, Scott Delony (’06), Gerald Ewing, Lauren Franco (’19), Jeremy Enlow, Kevin Halliburton, Dr. Tim Kennedy, Kim Leeson, Sergio Loes, Tim Nelson, Pepperdine University, Photo Texas, Clark Potts (’53), Mark Ries, Erinn Spack, Texas Medicine, Gordon Trice, Jonathan Vail, USA Football, Joshua Voda, Paul White (’68), Rick Yeatts Contributing Graphic Designers/Illustrators This Issue: Greg Golden (’87), Nancy Halliday, Holly Harrell, Todd Mullins, Amy Willis

FOCUSED ON STUDENTS

ADVISORY COMMITTEE Administration: Suzanne Allmon (’79), Dr. Gary D. McCaleb (’64), Dr. Robert Rhodes Advancement: Jim Orr, J.D. (’86), Billie Currey, J.D. (’70), Sarah Carlson (’06) Alumni Relations: Craig Fisher (’92), Jama (Fry ’97) Cadle, April Young (’16), Mandy (Becker ’13) Collum Marketing: Jason Groves (’00) Student Life: Dr. Scott McDowell Ex-officio: Dr. Phil Schubert (’91)

CORRESPONDENCE ACU Today: hadfieldr@acu.edu ACU Alumni Association: alumni@acu.edu Record Changes: ACU Box 29132, Abilene, Texas 79699-9132, 325-674-2620

ON THE WEB Abilene Christian University: acu.edu ACU Today Blog: acu.today Address changes and EXperiences: acu.edu/alumni/whatsnew/update.html ACU Advancement Office (Exceptional Fund, Gift Records): acu.edu/give ACU Alumni Website: acu.edu/alumni Find Us on Facebook: facebook.com/abilenechristian facebook.com/acusports facebook.com/welcometoACU Follow Us on Twitter: twitter.com/acuedu twitter.com/acusports twitter.com/acuadmissions Follow Us on Instagram: instagram.com/acuedu instagram.com/acualumni instagram.com/acusports instagram.com/acuadmissions

n his role as an advancement officer at ACU, Anthony Williams meets a lot of people, many of them alumni and friends of the university.

And on every visit, he always makes sure the conversation comes back to one thing: students.

“Almost every day, I have the privilege to speak with families about the amazing things happening at Abilene Christian, and I get to encourage these supporters to invest in scholarships and programs that help ensure a better future for our students,” said Williams, who also is mayor of Abilene. “I love listening to people’s memories of their time on the Hill and hearing their hopes for the continued growth of ACU.” One of the avenues Williams encourages alumni and friends to use to give back to students is through estate gifts. Working with The ACU Foundation,

these donors give gifts of cash, stocks, land and other property for things such as scholarships, programs and facilities, all benefitting future generations of students.

“I’m so grateful for the individuals who are so inspired by ACU’s commitment to building community leaders that they make estate gifts,” Williams said. “For example, one woman I met with is leaving a gift through her estate to benefit students planning to join the mission field of public education.”

“The men and women who give back to students are truly changing lives,” he said.

The ACU Foundation is available to work with you and your family to help maximize both your philanthropic impact and your own personal tax-saving and estate planning goals.

If we could help your family in any way, please contact us today for a free consultation.



DR. PHIL SCHUBERT (’91), President The mission of ACU is to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world.

Hunter Welcome Center ACU Box 29200 Abilene, Texas 79699-9200

800-979-1906 • 325-674-2508 • theacufoundation.org • theacufoundation@acu.edu

A CU T O D AY A bilene Chr isti a n Uni v er sit y

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Abilene Christian University

Abilene Christian University ACU Box 29132 Abilene, Texas 79699-9132

Spring-Summer 2019

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

C OMING UP Pregame Party / Football at University of North Texas (Denton) ........ August 31 113th Annual Summit ................................................................. September 15-18 Wildcat Preview Days ........................................... September 20, November 25 Family Weekend and Freshman Follies ................................... September 20-21 Admitted Student Visit Days ................... October 14, November 4, December 6 Gutenberg Celebration ........................................................................ October 17 Homecoming .................................................................................. October 17-20 ACU Theatre Homecoming Musical: Beauty and the Beast ......... October 18-20 Pregame Party / Football at Mississippi State (Starkville) ............ November 23

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December Commencement ............................................................ December 13 2020 Admitted Student Visit Days .......................... January 24, March 2, April 3 2020 Wildcat Preview Days ............................................. February 21, March 27 2020 Sing Song ........................................................................... February 21-22 2020 President’s Circle Dinner ........................................................ February 22 2020 Alumni Day Luncheon ............................................................. February 23 2020 Day of Giving ................................................................................... April 21 Class of 1970 Golden Anniversary Reunion........................................ April 22-24 2020 May Commencement ........................................................................ May 11

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instagram.com/acuedu SCOTT DELONY

A Tale of Two Seasons How to be a Wildcat Freshmen in Moody Coliseum practice “How to be a Wildcat” during Wildcat Week – the late-summer orientation formerly known as Welcome Week – before the first day of school in August 2018. ACU fans had plenty of opportunities to cheer during a highly successful athletics year. (See pages 4-19 and 70.)

Wildcat men’s and women’s basketball teams make historic runs to the NCAA Tournament

Alumni Awards  Remembering Dr. Teague  ACUTV

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Vision in Action

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Outlive Your Life Award